System, method, and device of detecting identity of a user and authenticating a user

ABSTRACT

System, method, and device of detecting identity of a user and authenticating a user; as well as detecting a possible attacker or impostor, and differentiating among users of an electronic device or of a computerized service. A mobile or portable electronic device is utilized to capture a self-taken image of a user, which is utilized as a user-authentication factor. The accelerometer and gyroscope of the mobile device, sense and measure spatial device properties during, before or after the submission of the self-image authentication factor; and based on such spatial device properties, the system determines liveness of the user, freshness of the submitted self-image, and possibly differentiates between a legitimate user and an attacker. Similarly, spatial device properties that accompany the entry or the submission of a biometric sample, such as fingerprint scan or retina scan, are used to detect liveness or freshness or authenticity of such biometric samples, and are used to differentiate between a legitimate user and an attacker.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application is a Continuation-in-Part (CIP) of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/727,873, filed on Jun. 2, 2015; which was a Continuation-in-Part (CIP) of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/566,723, filed on Dec. 11, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,071,969; which is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/922,271, filed on Jun. 20, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,938,787; which is a Continuation-In-Part (CIP) of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/877,676, filed on Apr. 4, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,069,942; which is a National Phase filing of PCT International Application number PCT/IL2011/000907, filed on Nov. 29, 2011, published as International Publication number WO/2012/073233; which claims priority and benefit from U.S. provisional patent application No. 61/417,479, filed on Nov. 29, 2010; and all of the above-mentioned patent applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

This patent application also claims priority and benefit from U.S. provisional patent application No. 62/308,878, filed on Mar. 16, 2016, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD

The present invention is related to the security of electronic devices and systems.

BACKGROUND

Millions of people around the world utilize mobile electronic devices, such as smartphones and tablets, in order to perform various activities. Such activities may include, for example, browsing the Internet, sending and receiving electronic mail (email) messages, taking photographs and videos, engaging in a video conference or a chat session, playing games, or the like.

Some activities may be privileged, or may require authentication of the user in order to ensure that only an authorized user engages in the activity. For example, a user may be required to enter a username and a password in order to access an email account, or in order to access an online banking interface or website.

SUMMARY

Some embodiments of the invention comprise a system, a method, and a device of detecting identity of a user and authenticating a user; as well as detecting a possible attacker or impostor, and differentiating among users of an electronic device or of a computerized service.

For example, a mobile or portable electronic device is utilized to capture a self-taken image of a user, which is utilized as a user-authentication factor. The accelerometer and gyroscope of the mobile device, sense and measure geo-spatial device properties during, before or after the submission of the self-image authentication factor; and based on such geo-spatial device properties, the system determines liveness of the user, freshness of the submitted self-image, and possibly differentiates between a legitimate user and an attacker.

Similarly, geo-spatial device properties that accompany the entry or the submission of a biometric sample, such as fingerprint scan or retina scan, are used to detect liveness or freshness or authenticity of such biometric samples, and are used to differentiate between a legitimate user and an attacker.

The present invention may provide other and/or additional benefits or advantages.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram illustration of a mobile electronic device, in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of three graphs, which demonstrate acceleration as a function of time over three separate axes, in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an illustration of a graph of the main axes of dimension-reduced space of accelerometer reaction to tapping, in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an illustration of a graph depicting feature space, in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flow-chart of a method, in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention may include, for example, systems, devices, and methods for detecting identity of a user of a mobile electronic device, and for determining that a mobile electronic device is used by a fraudulent user.

In accordance with the present invention, for example, a method for confirming identity of a user of a mobile electronic device may comprise: receiving touch data from a touch-screen of the mobile electronic device; receiving acceleration data from an accelerometer of the mobile electronic device; correlating between the touch data and the acceleration data; based on the correlating, generating a user-specific trait indicative of said user.

In accordance with the present invention, for example, the method may comprise: storing a reference value of the user-specific trait, indicative of said user; in a subsequent usage session of the mobile electronic device, generating a current value of the user-specific trait correlating between touch data and acceleration data; and based on a comparison between the current value of the user-specific trait and the reference value of the user-specific trait, determining whether or not a current user of the mobile electronic device is an authorized user of the mobile electronic device.

In accordance with the present invention, for example, storing comprises: storing within said mobile electronic device; and said comparison is performed within said mobile electronic device.

In accordance with the present invention, for example, storing comprises storing externally to said mobile electronic device; and said comparison is performed externally to said mobile electronic device, and comprises wirelessly receiving at the mobile electronic device an indication of said comparison.

In accordance with the present invention, for example, said touch data comprises non-tactile touch data indicating a hovering user gesture in proximity to said touch-screen.

In accordance with the present invention, for example, the method may comprise: receiving gyroscope data from a gyroscope of the mobile electronic device; correlating between the touch data and the gyroscope data; based on the correlating between the touch data and the gyroscope data, generating another user-specific trait indicative of said user.

In accordance with the present invention, for example, the method may comprise: capturing non-tactile motion data indicating a user gesture; correlating between the non-tactile motion data and the acceleration data; based on the correlating between the non-tactile motion data and the acceleration data, generating another user-specific trait indicative of said user.

In accordance with the present invention, for example, the method may comprise: comparing between (a) a currently-calculated value of the user-specific trait, corresponding to a current usage of the mobile electronic device, and (b) a previously-calculated value of the user-specific trait, corresponding to a previous usage of the mobile electronic device; and based on a comparison result, performing at least one of: restricting access of said user to an online service; restricting access of said user to an application installed on said mobile electronic device; requiring the user to authenticate his identity to an online service; requiring the user to authenticate his identity to an application installed on said mobile electronic device.

In accordance with the present invention, for example, the method may comprise: based on said touch data, estimating user-specific motor control parameters and user-specific motor control noise; and based on the estimated user-specific motor control parameters and user-specific motor control noise, differentiating between said user and another user.

In accordance with the present invention, for example, the method may comprise: based on said touch data, estimating user-specific motor control parameters and user-specific motor control noise of a control loop which comprises translation error and gesture velocity error; and based on the estimated user-specific motor control parameters and user-specific motor control noise, differentiating between said user and another user.

In accordance with the present invention, for example, the method may comprise: based on said correlating, estimating a user-specific physiological trait of said user; and based on the user-specific physiological trait, differentiating between said user and another user.

In accordance with the present invention, for example, estimating the user-specific physiological trait of said user comprises at least one of: estimating a length of a finger of the user; estimating a width of a finger of the user; estimating a size-related parameter of a finger of the user; estimating a distance between a tip of a finger of the user and another part of a hand of the user.

In accordance with the present invention, for example, the method may comprise: based on said correlating, estimating a user-specific behavioral trait of said user; and based on the user-specific behavioral trait, differentiating between said user and another user.

In accordance with the present invention, for example, estimating the user-specific behavioral trait of said user comprises: determining that said user typically performs a particular inadvertent gesture while performing a user-intended input-providing gesture.

In accordance with the present invention, for example, estimating the user-specific behavioral trait of said user comprises one or more of: determining that said user typically moves the mobile electronic device at a particular direction while performing a touch gesture; determining that said user typically rotates the mobile electronic device while performing a touch gesture; determining that said user typically slants the mobile electronic device at a particular angle while performing a touch gesture.

In accordance with the present invention, for example, estimating the user-specific behavioral trait of said user comprises: determining that said user typically holds the mobile electronic device with a first hand of the user and concurrently performs an input-providing gesture with a second hand of the user.

In accordance with the present invention, for example, estimating the user-specific behavioral trait of said user comprises: determining that said user typically holds the mobile electronic device with a single hand and concurrently performs an input-providing gesture with said single hand.

In accordance with the present invention, for example, the method may comprise: based on said correlating, estimating a first user-specific behavioral trait of said user which corresponds to a first usage scenario; based on said correlating, estimating a second user-specific behavioral trait of said user which corresponds to a second usage scenario; based on the first and second user-specific behavioral traits, differentiating between said user and another user.

In accordance with the present invention, for example, the method may comprise: based on said correlating, estimating a first user-specific behavioral trait of said user which corresponds to a first usage scenario in which said user operates said mobile electronic device while the user holds said mobile electronic device; based on said correlating, estimating a second user-specific behavioral trait of said user which corresponds to a second usage scenario in which said user operates said mobile electronic device while the user does not hold said mobile electronic device; based on the first and second user-specific behavioral traits, differentiating between said user and another user.

In accordance with the present invention, for example, a mobile electronic device may be configured to confirm identity of a user of said mobile electronic device; the mobile electronic device comprising: a touch-screen to receive touch data; an accelerometer to receive acceleration data; a correlator module to correlate between the touch data and the acceleration data; a trait extractor module to generate a user-specific trait indicative of said user, based on correlation between the touch data and the acceleration data.

Applicants have realized that each user of a mobile electronic device may handle the device in a unique manner which may be detected and may be utilized for confirming the identity of the user, or for other security-related purposes or fraud-detection purposes. Applicants have realized, for example, that different users cause different type of acceleration to the mobile device when they perform the same operation or touch-gesture (e.g., swiping or tapping or scrolling on the touch-screen), or may tilt or rotate or slant the mobile device in different, unique ways when they perform such gestures or operations.

The present invention may include, for example, biometric modalities, personal trait extraction modalities, and/or identity authentication modalities which may be used in conjunction with a mobile or portable electronic device, and may utilize a combination of (or correlation between) acceleration parameters and/or touch data. Such parameters may be used in order to deduce unique insights regarding the identity or possible identity of the user of the mobile electronic device, or in order to determine whether or not the user is considered to be the “genuine” user, or in contrast, an attacker or impersonator or “fraudster”.

The present invention may capture, monitor, or otherwise utilize for deduction of insights, the coupling or correlation between (a) touch-screen interaction, or other user gestures, and (b) accelerometer(s) measurements and/or gyroscope(s) measurements. The present invention may further deduce and/or utilize one or more other biometric traits or identity-authentication traits, for example, touch or swipe locations, pressure dynamics, identification of physiological regions (e.g., in the hand of the user) that move while other regions do not move when a user gesture is performed, or other suitable traits in order to assist in identification and/or authentication of the user of the mobile device.

The present invention may sufficiently capture unique qualities of a human user to be usable as a biometric for authentication. Different people may have different preferred orientations for holding or grasping (e.g., in their hand) a mobile device, and/or a different way in which they press or touch or tap the touch-screen (e.g., the applied force, the duration of the tapping, or the like).

Applicants have realized that physical traits such as, for example, hand size, hand mass, or other traits, may change the way in which a user's interacting hand and his device-holding hand are correlated. In a demonstrative example, the present invention may distinguish or differentiate between (a) a person who is using one single hand for both holding the mobile device and tapping on its touch-screen (or performing other touch gesture), and (b) a person who is using one hand to hold the mobile device and another hand to tap on its touch-screen (or to perform other touch gesture or user gesture).

Moreover, as Applicants have realized, different tap locations (e.g., top-left corner or region of the touch-screen, versus bottom-right corner or region) may create different torque(s) on the mobile device, further depending on the tap strength, the offset of the mobile device in the hand (e.g., the device being held high or low, with the palm area or the fingers area, or the like) and/or the size of the hand (e.g., if the same hand is used for both holding the device and tapping on its touch-screen).

The terms “mobile device” or “mobile electronic device” as used herein may include, for example, a smartphone, a cellular phone, a mobile phone, a tablet, a handheld device, a portable electronic device, a portable gaming device, a portable audio/video player, a smart-watch, a digital watch, a digital wrist-watch, an Augmented Reality (AR) or Virtual Reality (VR) device or glasses or helmet or headset (e.g., similar to Google Glass, or similar to Oculus Rift), a fitness band or fitness watch, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a notebook computer, a netbook computer, an electronic device which comprises at least an accelerometer and a touch-screen, or the like.

The term “genuine user” as used herein may include, for example, an owner of a mobile electronic device; a legal or lawful user of a mobile electronic device; an authorized user of a mobile electronic device; a person who has legal authorization and/or legal right to utilize a mobile electronic device, for general purpose(s) and/or for one or more particular purpose(s); or the person who had originally defined user credentials (e.g., username and password) for performing an activity through the mobile electronic device.

The term “fraudulent user” as used herein may include, for example, any person who is not the “genuine user” of the mobile electronic device; an attacker; an intruder; a man-in-the-middle attacker; a man-in-the-browser attacker; an unauthorized user; an impersonator; a hacker; a cracker; a person attempting to hack or crack or compromise a security measure utilized by the mobile electronic device or utilized by an activity or service accessible through the mobile electronic device; a fraudster; a human fraudster; a “bot” or a malware or an automated computerized process (e.g., implemented by using software modules and/or hardware components) which attempts to imitate human behavior or which attempts to act as if such “bot” or malware or process was the genuine user; or the like.

The term “user gesture” as used herein may include, for example, a gesture or movement or other operation that a user of a mobile device performs on a touch-screen of the mobile device, or performs in proximity to the touch-screen of the mobile device; touch gesture; tap gesture or double-tap gesture or prolonged tap gesture; scroll gesture; drag gesture, or drag-and-drop gesture; release gesture; click or double-click gesture; hovering gestures, in which the user may hover with his finger(s) or hand(s) in proximity to the touch-screen of the mobile device but without necessarily touching the touch-screen device; hovering gestures that may be captured by a camera of the mobile device, or by a touch-screen of the mobile device (e.g., by taking into account electrical and/or magnetic effects of such gestures); hovering gestures which may be generally similar to touch-free hovering gestures that a Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphone is able to detect; finger(s) gestures and/or hand(s) gestures made in a three-dimensional space, for example, similar to movement gestures that a Microsoft Kinect motion sensing input device is able to sense; and/or a combination of such gestures or other gestures.

Reference is made to FIG. 1, which is a schematic block diagram illustration of a mobile device 100 in accordance with the present invention. Mobile device 100 may comprise, for example, a processor 101, a memory unit 102, a storage unit 103, a wireless transceiver 104, a touch-screen 105, one or more accelerometers 106, and one or more gyroscopes 107. Mobile device 100 may further comprise, for example, one or more hovering sensors 108, one or more motion gesture sensor(s) 109, a correlator 131, a trait extractor 132, a trait repository 133, a profile constructor module 134, an identity authenticator module 135, and a physiological trait estimator 139. Mobile device 100 may comprise other suitable hardware components and/or software modules, for example, a power source (e.g., a rechargeable battery), an Operating System, software applications, or the like.

Touch-screen 105 may receive user gestures, for example, tapping, double-tapping, dragging, pressing, holding down, releasing, scrolling, pinching fingers for zoom-out, spreading fingers for zoom-in, or the like). Touch data may be stored in a touch data repository 125, optionally in association with a time-stamp associated with each touch data-item being stored.

Accelerometer(s) 106 may comprise, for example, a three-axis accelerometer able to measure acceleration, separately, along three axes (X axis, Y axis, Z axis). Accelerometer readings may be stored in an acceleration data repository 126, optionally in association with a time-stamp associated with each acceleration data-item being stored.

Gyroscope(s) 107 may comprise, for example, a three-axis gyroscope able to measure orientation and/or rotation, e.g., separately along three axes (X axis, Y axis, Z axis). The measured data may be stored in a gyroscope data repository 127, optionally in association with a time-stamp associated with each orientation/rotation data-item being stored.

Hovering sensor(s) 108 may comprise, for example, one or more sensors (e.g., optical sensors, magnetic sensors, electric sensors, touch-screen components, camera components, or the like) able to sense hovering gesture(s) of the user of device 100, for example, in a three-dimensional space or separately along three axes (X axis, Y axis, Z axis). The measured data may be stored in a hovering data repository 128, optionally in association with a time-stamp associated with each hovering data-item being stored.

Motion gesture sensor(s) 109 may comprise, for example, one or more sensors able to sense motion gesture(s) of the user of device 100, for example, in a three-dimensional space or separately along three axes (X axis, Y axis, Z axis). The measured data may be stored in a motion gesture data repository 129, optionally in association with a time-stamp associated with each motion gesture data-item being stored.

Correlator 131 may search for, or identify or determine, correlation among (a) acceleration data and/or gyroscope data, and (b) touch data and/or hovering data and/or motion gesture data. Trait extractor 132 may determine one or more user-specific traits or characteristics which may be, or may appear to be, unique to (or indicative of) a particular user, based on one or more correlation(s) identified by correlator 131. Trait values or trait indicators, or data indicative of extracted user-specific traits, may be stored in a trait repository 133.

Profile constructor module 134 may utilize a learning algorithm to construct a user profile based on the one or more user-specific traits identified by trait extractor 132 and stored in trait repository 133. Profile construction may be performed over a per-defined time period (e.g., five hours, or three days) of the user interacting with device 100; or over a pre-defined number of interactions (e.g., 12 or 25 or 100 interactions) of the user with device 100. Optionally, profile constructor module 134 may dynamically extend or shorten or modify the required time-period or interaction number, for example, if traits of a particular user are distinctive and are rapidly extracted over a shorter period of time or over a smaller number of user interactions. Constructed user profiles may be stored in a user profile repository, which may be internal to device 100 or may be external thereto (e.g., in a remote server or in a “cloud computing” server), optionally with an associated flag or parameter indicating whether a particular user profile is fully constructed or under construction.

Identity authenticator module 135 may capture one or more traits of a user who is currently utilizing device 100, and may analyze and determine whether or not these traits are similar to, or different from, user-specific traits in a user profile associated with a user that is believed to be a “genuine” user of device 100. The analysis results may be notified by identity authenticator module 135 to other units or modules, within device 100 (e.g., an application or process running in device 100) and/or externally to device 100 (e.g., on a remote server, on a remote web-site or web-page, in a “cloud” server or device).

For example, if the analysis indicates that the current user of device 100 is not the genuine user, then, one or more fraud-stopping operations or additional authentication operations may be triggered and performed, for example, requiring the user to re-enter his password or pass-phrase or Personal Identification Number (PIN), requiring the user to answer one or more security questions, requiring the user to perform log-in operations or to provide account details (e.g., to provide date-of-birth data), requiring the user to place a phone call to a fraud department or a security department of a service or entity associated with an application running on device 100; blocking or restricting or curtailing access of the user to one or more services or features which may be generally available through device 100; or the like.

Correlator 131 may identify user-specific physiological correlations. For example, correlator 131 may identify one or more geometric place(s), on touch-screen 105 or in a space proximate to touch-screen 105, in which a user gesture is associated with movement of a user body part (e.g., the thumb; one or more fingers; the palm or wrist) while also being associated with rest or non-movement of other body parts of the user. Based on the user-specific physiological correlations, trait extractor 132 may extract user-specific physiological trait(s).

In a demonstrative example, trait extractor 132 may determine that for the user Adam, a vertical scroll-down touch-gesture is typically associated with movement of the root of the thumb, while the other fingers are at rest and while the wrist or palm-base are at rest; whereas, for the user Bob, a vertical scroll-down touch-gesture is typically associated with both movement of the root of the thumb, as well as with slight rotational movement of fingers that hold or support the rear of the mobile device, and while the wrist or palm-base are at rest. This may be subsequently used for user authentication or for identity confirmation, to distinguish between a “genuine” user (e.g., Adam) and a fraudulent user or non-genuine user (e.g., Bob) when the user of device 100 performs a similar user gesture.

In another demonstrative embodiment, correlator 131 may determine that the user of device 100 (e.g., the “genuine” user), while performing a primary gesture or an intended gesture (e.g., required in order to provide user input to device 100), typically also performs a secondary gesture an inadvertent gesture (e.g., not required in order to provide user input to device 100). For example, the primary gesture may be a scrolling gesture, a zoom-in or zoom-out gesture, a dragging gesture, a tapping gesture, or other user input gesture; whereas, the secondary gesture (e.g., the inadvertent or unintended gesture, to which the user may not even be aware) may be, for example, slight or significant rotating or spinning of device 100, slight or significant movement of device 100 (e.g., in a particular direction), slight or significant tilting or slanting of device 100 (e.g., at a particular angle or range-of-angles), or the like.

In another demonstrative embodiment, correlator 131 may be associated with, or may operate in conjunction with, physiological trait estimator 139 which may be able to indirectly estimate one or more physiological traits or physiological characteristics of the user of device 100, and particularly, of the hand(s) or finger(s) (e.g., a finger, a thumb, or the like) of that user. For example, physiological trait estimator 139 may estimate a width of a finger or thumb based on a width of a swiping trace performed by the finger on touch-screen 105; may estimate a length of a finger or thumb based on a radius of a circular or arched or curved swiping motion on touch-screen 105; may estimate the distance between the tip of a finger or thumb and the palm of the hand, or the wrist; may estimate other dimensions of hand-parts, or relations between such hand parts; or the like. Physiological trait estimator 139 may thus estimate physiological characteristics which may be unique to a particular user, and may assist in confirming user identity and/or in detecting a non-genuine user impersonating the genuine user.

Additionally or alternatively, correlator 131 may be associated with, or may operate in conjunction with, a motor control estimator 138 which may estimate user-specific motor control parameters based on the user's interaction with mobile device 100. Such parameters may include, for example, parameters of the action-perception loop modeling the hand-eye coordination, as well as control loop parameter, motor noise, perception noise, or the like. Motor control estimator 138 may estimate user-specific parameters of motor control, which may be more inherent to the user and may be less action-dependent.

In a demonstrative implementation, for example, motor control estimator 138 may track a user gesture on the touch-screen (e.g., a scroll or swipe gesture). The movement or gesture may begin at rest in a start-point (X₀, Y₀), and may end at rest in an end-point (X₁, Y₁). A demonstrative control loop of the second order, for example, may assume that the force of the hand is governed by a linear combination of two error terms: a translation error, and the current velocity error.

The translation error may be represented as:

Δx=(x ₁ −x(t))

The current velocity error may be represented as:

${\Delta \; v_{x}} = {\frac{}{t}{x(t)}}$

The control loop may be represented (for the X-axis, and similarly and separately also for the Y-axis) as:

$\frac{^{2}{x(t)}}{t^{2}} = {{\alpha_{x}\Delta \; x} + {\beta_{x}v_{x}} + n_{x}}$

In the last equation, α_(x) and β_(x) are control loop parameters, and n_(x) is motor control noise (e.g., Gaussian random variable). Accordingly, motor control estimator 138 may estimate or may simulate trajectories which may be similar to human trajectories; and although a velocity curve may be different for each movement of the same movement, the velocity curve may be generated by the same model parameters of that specific user. Motor control estimator 138 may thus estimate these three parameters (for the X-axis, and/or for the Y-axis), thereby estimating user-specific motor control traits which may be used for differentiating between a genuine user and an impersonator or attacker, regardless of the specific movement(s) or gesture(s) performed. The above is only a demonstrative example, and motor control estimator 138 may utilize other motor control estimations, forward model(s), feedback model(s), estimation of similar peak velocity (or other movement properties) for different movements (e.g., if the error terms are distorted by a non-linear function).

Additionally or alternatively, correlator 131 may identify user-specific behavioral correlations. For example, correlator 131 may identify that when a particular user performs a particular user-gesture, performance of the gesture affects in a particular way the acceleration data and/or the orientation/rotation data of device 100. Based on the user-specific behavioral correlations, trait extractor 132 may extract user-specific behavioral trait(s).

In a demonstrative example, trait extractor 132 may determine that for the user Adam, a horizontal swipe gesture is typically associated with a counter-clockwise rotation in the range of 10 to 15 degrees around a vertical axis (e.g., a rotation axis parallel to the longest dimension of device 100); whereas, for the user Bob, a horizontal swipe gesture is typically associated with a clockwise rotation in the range of 5 to 10 degrees (or, with substantially no rotation at all) around that vertical axis. This may be subsequently used for user authentication or for identity confirmation, to distinguish between a “genuine” user (e.g., Adam) and a fraudulent user or non-genuine user (e.g., Bob) when the user of device 100 performs a similar user gesture.

Correlator 131 may be configured to search for, and detect, other user-specific behavioral correlations, for example: correlations based on the manner of holding device 100 (e.g., a primary angle of holding), and the effect of various user gestures on such holding or on the primary angle of holding; correlations based on the stability or the shakiness of device 100 (e.g., optionally taking into account the amount and/or frequency and/or timing of hand vibrations or hand movements), and the effect of various user gestures on such device stability or shakiness, or on stability or shakiness of the hand of the user that holds or operates device 100; correlations based on movement, spinning, rotation and/or acceleration of device 100, along one axis or two axes or three axes, as a result of (or concurrently with) a user gesture such as, for example, tap, double-tap, prolonged tap, release, drag, drag and drop, click, double-click, rotation or movement of an on-screen object, rotation of device 100 by 90 degrees or 180 degrees or 270 degrees, horizontal or vertical or diagonal swipe gesture, scroll gesture, zoom-in or zoom-out gestures, user operations on physical buttons or sliders or interface components of device 100 (e.g., volume interface, camera button, button for capturing an image or a video), or the like.

Correlator 131 may further detect correlations based on movement, spinning, rotation and/or acceleration of device 100, along one axis or two axes or three axes, that occur prior to or subsequent to a user gesture. For example, correlator 131 may detect that a first particular user typically tilts the phone from being generally perpendicular to the ground, to being generally parallel to the ground, immediately prior to performing a zoom-out gesture (e.g., a “pinching” gesture with two fingers on touch-screen 105). Similarly, correlator 131 may detect that a second particular user typically rotates the phone counter-clockwise, immediately subsequent to performing a zoom-in gesture (e.g., spacing apart two fingers on touch-screen 105). In some implementations, for example, a correlation may be detected while the user gesture is performed, immediately before the user gesture is performed (e.g., within 0.5 seconds prior to the user gesture), and/or immediately after the user gesture is performed (e.g., within 0.5 seconds subsequent to the user gesture).

Optionally, correlator 131 may detect other suitable correlations, and may take into account other types of readings or sensed data, for example, data indicating a temperature or moisture level or sweat level which may be associated with a user gesture, data indicating the amount of pressure or force applied by a user (e.g., when pressing on touch-screen 105), or the like.

In a demonstrative example, a first user may typically scroll down with his finger on touch-screen 105 while slightly rotating the mobile device 100 around its longest axis; and a correlation may be identified between the respective touch data and acceleration/orientation data, indicative of the first user. In contrast, a second user may typically scroll down while maintaining the mobile device 100 non-rotating, or while rotating mobile device 100 at a different direction or angle, or at a different acceleration value, thereby allowing to identify a different correlation, indicative of the second user.

Optionally, the present invention may identify, create and utilize a first set of behavioral traits which correspond to the behavior of a particular user when he is utilizing his mobile device in a first holding scenario (e.g., when the user is holding the mobile device in his hand), and a second (different) set of behavioral traits which correspond to the behavior of that particular user when he is utilizing his mobile device in a second holding scenario (e.g., when the mobile device is placed on a table or flat surface and the user operates the mobile device without holding it). Accordingly, the present invention may create and utilize a behavioral profile for that user, which may comprise multiple sub-profiles of behavioral traits that correspond to such multiple usage scenarios by the same (e.g., “genuine”) user. In a subsequent usage of the mobile device, the system may compare the behavioral traits of the subsequent user, to each one (e.g., separately) of the pre-stored sets of behavioral traits (or behavioral sub-profiles), in order to detect or determine whether that subsequent user is the “genuine” user operating in one of the known usage scenarios, or alternatively a fraudulent user or attacker. Similarly, the present invention may generate and/or utilize complex profiles that may comprise of sub-profiles or sets of traits (e.g., behavioral traits, physiological traits, motor control traits), such that each set or sub-profile may correspond to a particular usage scenario or a particular holding scenario of the user; and a subsequent usage may be compared, separately, to each one of those sub-profiles (or sets of traits) in order to determine user authenticity.

The terms “correlation”, “correlator”, “to correlate”, and similar or equivalent terms which may be used herein, are used for demonstrative purpose only; they may include, for example, statistical correlation, or statistically-significant correlation, or any other type of relation or indication or matching between two parameters or between groups of values. In some embodiments, there need not be statistically-significant correlation between, for example, touch data and acceleration data, in order to identify or extract unique user trait(s); but rather, there may be other type of relation or matching between touch-data and acceleration data in order to determine such “correlation”.

In accordance with the present invention, mobile device 100 may continuously track and/or monitor the correlation between touch-data and acceleration/orientation data. Correlation values may be used to determine user-specific traits, that are indicative of the user of the mobile device 100, which may be regarded initially as the “genuine” user. Then, during subsequent usage of the mobile device 100, correlation between touch-data and acceleration/orientation data may be tracked and identified, and may be compared to the correlation previously-determined for the genuine user, in order to confirm that a current user is indeed the genuine user, or in order to determine or to estimate that a current user is a non-genuine user.

In a demonstrative implementation, an application or a website may be accessible through device 100 through an access control process or a user authentication process. Such application or website may be, for example, an email account, a social network account, a video conference application, a chat application, an online banking application or website, a securities trading application or website, an electronic commerce account or website, or the like. The user may be prompted to create a new user account (e.g., define a username and password); and then, or in parallel, user-specific traits may be captured through passive means and/or active means, which may be known to the user or may be hidden from the user.

For example, a profile creation page or application may require the user to perform various touch operations (e.g., tapping, scrolling, dragging, or the like), and may capture touch data as well as acceleration/orientation data, which may then be correlated in order to identify a biometric trait indicative of the user who is currently creating the profile, or who is otherwise believed to be a genuine user (e.g., based on password entry and/or responses to security questions or other challenge-response mechanisms). Optionally, an active challenge may be posed to the user, for example, by explicitly asking the user to perform one or more particular touch gestures on touch-screen 105, either as “hidden” challenges (in which the user is not aware that he is actively challenged for security purposes) or as non-hidden challenges (in which the user is advised that, as a security measure, he is required to perform certain touch gestures in order to extract biometric traits).

Reference is made to FIG. 5, which is a flow-chart of a method in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments of the present invention. The method may be implemented by a mobile electronic device, by one or more hardware components and/or software modules of a mobile electronic device, by a system, or the like.

The method may include, for example, capturing at least one of touch data, hovering data, motion data, gesture data (block 510).

The method may include, for example, capturing at least one of acceleration data, gyroscope data, device orientation/rotation data, principal axes rotation data (e.g., normal axis or yaw, lateral axis or pitch, longitudinal axis or roll) (block 520).

The operations of block 520 may be performed simultaneously or concurrently with, or in parallel to, the operations of block 510.

The method may include, for example, correlating or matching (block 530) between the data captured in block 510 and the data captured in block 520.

The method may include, for example, extracting a user-specific trait (block 540) based on the correlating or matching of block 530. The user-specific trait may include, for example, one or more behavioral traits, physiological traits, motor control traits, or other user-specific characteristics.

The method may include, for example, subsequently, confirming user identity based on said user-specific trait (block 550).

Other suitable operations may be used in accordance with the present invention.

Some embodiments of the present invention may be utilized, or may operate, in conjunction with methods, algorithms, devices and/or systems which are described in PCT International Application Number PCT/IL2011/000907, titled “Method and Device for Confirming Computer End-User Identity”, published on Jun. 7, 2012 as International Publication Number WO/2012/073233, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety; and/or in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/877,676, filed on Apr. 4, 2013, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

In accordance with the present invention, correlation between touch-data and acceleration/orientation data may be identified and/or checked locally in mobile device 100; or remotely, such as in a remote server which may receive such data via a wireless communication link from mobile device 100; or by using other suitable architecture, for example, a hybrid architecture in which some operations may be performed locally and other operations may be performed remotely. Accordingly, components or modules that are depicted, for demonstrative purposes, as being included in mobile device 100, may be implemented at a remote server or within other suitable units. The present invention may be implemented in a stand-alone mobile device, such that data collection and processing may be performed within device 100; or in a client-server architecture, such that device 100 may collect data and may wirelessly transmit the collected data to a remote server for processing and analysis; or in a “cloud computing” architecture in which data is stored remotely and is also processed remotely. Other suitable architectures may be used, to deploy a system in which a particular mobile device “knows” or recognizes its genuine user, or, to deploy a system in which a particular application or website “know” or recognize a genuine user, based on the above-mentioned correlations.

In a demonstrative experiment in accordance with the present invention, multiple participants were asked to hold a particular mobile device (an iPad tablet), to drag (with a finger) a displayed green circle towards a displayed red target, and then to release the dragged item once it reached the red target. Accelerometer data and touch data were collected while performing the requested operations.

The experiment measured the touch and release signals, as well as accelerometer measurements; and then triggered the acceleration data according to the touch time. FIG. 2 depicts three graphs 201-203, which demonstrate acceleration as a function of time over three separate axes, thereby demonstrating at least two identifying characteristics which may be used as a user-specific trait. As a first identifying characteristic, the phasic level (observed at the X axis) may have different values for different people, corresponding to different posture of the mobile device. As a second identifying characteristic, the transient shape once the device is clicked (observed at the Z axis) may have different values for different people. This data may be transformed or analyzed, for example, by using dimension reduction techniques (e.g., kernel-principle-component-analysis), thereby demonstrating the biometric capability of synergizing between touch data and acceleration data.

Reference is made to FIG. 3, which demonstrates a graph 300 of the main axes of the dimension-reduced space of the accelerometer reaction to tapping. Each small item in graph 300 represents one trial, and each shape or character in graph 300 (e.g., circle, square, diamond, triangle) represents a different user. This drawing demonstrates identifiable clusters 301-309 of trials, each such cluster corresponding to a different user.

In certain scenarios, posture data (e.g., phasic response) may be neglected or may not be available, for example, if the mobile device is operated while being placed on a table or a flat surface and is not hand-held by the user. In such scenarios, only the device's kinematics during taps may be taken into account, and still the present invention may capture sufficient information for biometric functions. Reference is made to FIG. 4 which illustrates a graph 400 depicting the feature space, where each dot represents a trial; greyed circles represent trials performed by one particular user, and black circles represent trials performed by the other participants. This drawing demonstrates dimension reduction when only the device's kinematics are taken into account, showing that, still, sufficient significant biometric information may be captured and determined.

The present invention may be used in order to automatically identify that a user (e.g., an attacker or a “fraudster”) is attempting to pose as (or impersonate, or “spoof”) another user (e.g., the “real” user or the genuine user). In accordance with the present invention, the attacker would need to carefully and correctly imitate the exact accelerometer response for tapping (or for other suitable touch-screen operations, such as scrolling, dragging, releasing), taking into account the particular kinematics properties of the genuine user; and such imitation may be extremely difficult and unlikely, or even impossible, for most attackers.

The present invention may utilize signal processing and/or machine learning techniques, in order to build or generate a template model or a profile which corresponds to the genuine user; and then compare subsequent instance(s) or sample(s) to the pre-built (and locally stored, or remotely stored) model or profile. If the subsequent samples are consistent with the pre-built model or profile, then a first output score may be generated (e.g., having a high value in a predefined numeric range, such as a value of 98 on a scale of 0 to 100); whereas, if the subsequent samples are inconsistent with the pre-built model or profile, then a second output score may be generated (e.g., having a lower value on the predefined numeric range, such as a value of 34 on the scale of 0 to 100). In some implementations, an output score greater than a threshold value may be used (alone, or in combination with other biometric traits and/or other authentication measures) as an indication that the current user is the genuine user; whereas an output score lower than the threshold value may be used (alone, or in combination with other biometric traits and/or other authentication measures) as an indication that the current user is not the genuine user.

The present invention may further be used to differentiate or distinguish between the genuine (human) user, and a robot or a machine-operable module or function (e.g., implemented as a computer virus, a Trojan module, a cyber-weapon, or other malware) which attempts to automatically imitate or emulate or simulate movement of a cursor or other interaction with a touch-screen. For example, false identity created by automated malware may be detected by the present invention as such automated malware may lack the characterization of human (e.g., manual) behavior, such as the touch features (e.g., speed, pressure) and/or its accelerometer correlated measurements.

The present invention may operate and may provide an efficient biometric or user-authentication modality, without capturing, storing, or otherwise identifying any Personally Identifiable Information (PII). For example, the present invention may be used to distinguish between a genuine user and a fraudster, without knowing any PPI of the genuine user and/or of the fraudster.

The present invention may detect correlations and extract user-specific traits based on passive data collection and/or based on active challenges. In passive data collection, the mobile device may detect that the user is performing a particular operation (e.g., a vertical scroll gesture), and may further detect that performing this gesture affects in a user-specific way the acceleration and/or the orientation/rotation of the mobile device. In an active challenge, the mobile device (or an application or process thereof) may actively present a challenge to the user, such as, a requirement to the user to perform horizontal scrolling, in order to capture data and detect user-specific correlation(s). The active challenge may be hidden or may be unknown to the user, for example, implemented by creating a Graphical User Interface (GUI) that requires the button to scroll in order to reach a “submit” button or a “next” button or a “continue” button, thereby “forcing” the user to unknowingly perform a particular user-gesture which may be useful for correlation detection or for extraction of user-specific traits, as described. Alternatively, the active challenge may be known to the user, and may be presented to the user as an additional security feature; for example, by requesting the user to drag and drop an on-screen object from a first point to a second point, as an action that may be taken into account for confirming user identity.

Some embodiments of the present invention may be implemented, for example, as a built-in or integrated security feature which may be a component or a module of a mobile device, or may be a downloadable or install-able application or module, or plug-in or extension; or as a module of a web-site or web-page, or of a client-server system or a “cloud computing” system; or as machine-readable medium or article or memory unit able to store instructions and/or code which, when executed by the mobile device or by other suitable machine (e.g., a remote server, or a processor or a computer) cause such machine to perform the method(s) and/or operations described herein. Some units, components or modules, that are shown in FIG. 1 for demonstrative purposes as comprised within mobile device 100, may be implemented externally to mobile device 100, may be implemented in a remote server, a web server, a website or webpage, a “cloud computing” server or database, a client/server system, a distributed system, a peer-to-peer network or system, or the like.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the analysis or correlation or matching (e.g., between accelerometer/gyroscope data, and touch-data or hovering data or other user-gesture data) may be location-based and/or application-based, or may otherwise take into account a geographical location or geo-spatial location of the mobile device or the application(s) being used or that are installed on the device. In a demonstrative example, a suitable module (e.g., a location-aware module or location-determining module) in the mobile device may determine the current location of the mobile device, based on GPS data or Wi-Fi data or cellular triangulation data or mobile network cell data or other location-identification techniques. The mobile phone may then utilize a suitable module (e.g., a correlator or matching module between location and user-specific behavioral usage traits) in order to deduce or determine, for example: that when the user utilizes his mobile device in a first location (e.g., in his office), then the mobile phone is typically placed horizontally on a flat surface (e.g., a table); that when the user utilizes his mobile phone in a second location or type of location (e.g., outdoor, on the street, in the park), then the mobile phone is typically held by the hand of the user at a slanted angle or diagonally (e.g., at approximately 45 to 60 degrees relative to the ground); that when the user utilizes his mobile phone in a third location or type of location (e.g., at a Point-Of-Sale (POS) terminal or register or cashier, at a supermarket or a retail store), then the mobile phone is typically held generally horizontally by the hand of the user (e.g., generally parallel to the ground); that when the user utilizes his mobile phone in a fourth location or type of location (e.g., at an Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) or a vending machine), then the mobile phone is typically held generally vertically by the hand of the user (e.g., at an angle of approximately 90 degrees, or between 80 to 100 degrees, relative to the ground); or the like. These determinations may be location-based or location-aware, thereby triangulating or crossing among three dimensions, namely, behavioral user-specific traits (e.g., holding the phone diagonally), gesture data (e.g., performing a scroll-down gesture), and location data (e.g., when utilizing the phone at a retailer); and such determinations may be part of the user-specific profile of that user. In a subsequent usage of the mobile device, similar determinations may be made, in order to analyze whether or not a current user is indeed the same user as in previous usage session(s) or is a “genuine” user. In a demonstrative example, this three-prone approach may raise an alert if, for example, typically the user of the mobile device holds his mobile device horizontally when performing a scroll-operation at a Point of Sale terminal; and in a subsequent usage session of the mobile device, a user holds that phone vertically when performing a scroll-operation at such Point of Sale terminal, thereby indicating that the subsequent user may not be the genuine or authorized user of the mobile device. In some embodiments, these multi-prone determinations may further be augmented with, or matched or correlated with, application-specific data or application-specific determinations, in order to improve the tailoring of the behavioral traits to the specific user. For example, the mobile device may differentiate and determine that the genuine user typically holds the phone vertically (e.g., anywhere, or in a particular location or type of location) when utilizing the camera application of the mobile device, but typically holds the phone horizontally (e.g., anywhere, or in that particular location or type of location) when utilizing the address book application of the mobile device; and these user-specific traits may be extracted and subsequently compared to data captured in a subsequent usage session of that mobile device, to authenticate user identity.

The present invention may be used in conjunction with various suitable devices and systems, for example, various devices that have a touch-screen; an ATM; a kiosk machine or vending machine that has a touch-screen; a touch-keyboard; a system that utilizes Augmented Reality (AR) components or AR glasses (e.g., Google Glass); a device or system that may detect hovering gestures that do not necessarily touch on the screen or touch-screen; a hovering screen; a system or device that utilize brainwave analysis or brainwave control in which the user's brainwaves are captured or read and the user's brain may directly control an application on the mobile device; and/or other suitable devices or systems.

Some embodiments may provide a method for confirming identity of a user of an electronic device, the method comprising: receiving touch data from a touch-screen of the electronic device; receiving acceleration data from an accelerometer of the electronic device; determining a relation between the touch data and the acceleration data; based on said relation between the touch data and the acceleration data, generating a user-specific trait indicative of said user of said electronic device; storing, either locally within said electronic device or on a remote server, a reference value of said user-specific trait; in a subsequent usage session, generating and storing a current value of the user-specific trait indicating relation between touch data and acceleration data; and based on a comparison process between (A) the current value of the user-specific trait that was generated, and (B) the reference value of the user-specific trait that was previously generated, determining whether or not a current user of the smartphone is an authorized user of the smartphone.

In some embodiments, said touch data comprises non-tactile touch data indicating a hovering user gesture in proximity to said touch-screen of said electronic device.

In some embodiments, the method comprises: receiving gyroscope data from a gyroscope of the electronic device; determining a relation between the touch data and the gyroscope data and the acceleration data; based on said relation between the touch data and the gyroscope data and the acceleration data, generating another user-specific trait indicative of said user.

In some embodiments, the method comprises: based on the relation between the touch data and the acceleration data, (A) determining that a first physiological region of said user moves when a particular gesture is performed, and (B) determining that a second physiological region of said user does not move when said particular gesture is performed; based on said two determining operations, differentiating among multiple users.

In some embodiments, the method comprises: determining an offset of holding said electronic device in a hand of said user, wherein the offset comprises an offset selected from the group consisting of: the electronic device being held with a palm area of the hand, and the electronic device being held with a fingers area of the hand; based on said offset of holding the electronic device in the hand, differentiating among multiple users.

In some embodiments, the method comprises: determining whether (A) the same hand of the user is utilized for both holding the electronic device and tapping the touch-screen of the electronic device, or (B) a first hand of the user is utilized for holding the electronic device and a second hand of the user is utilized for tapping the touch-screen of the electronic device; based on said determining, differentiating among multiple users.

In some embodiments, the method comprises: constructing a user-specific profile based on said touch data and said acceleration data, wherein the constructing is performed over a pre-defined time-period; dynamically shortening the pre-defined time period for constructing said user-specific profile if one or more identified traits of said user are distinctive.

In some embodiments, the method comprises: constructing a user-specific profile based on said touch data and said acceleration data, wherein the constructing is performed within a constraint selected from the group consisting of: (A) a pre-defined time-period, and (B) a pre-defined number of user interactions; dynamically modifying said constraint for constructing said user-specific profile, based on distinctiveness of one or more traits of said user; storing a flag indicating whether said user-specific profile is either (i) under construction, or (ii) fully constructed.

In some embodiments, the method comprises: constructing a user-specific profile which indicates that for a user-gesture that is performed at a particular geometric place of the touch-screen of said electronic device, a first body part of the user is moving while a second body part of the user is at rest; based on said user-specific profile, differentiating among multiple users.

In some embodiments, the method comprises: constructing a user-specific profile which indicates that for a scrolling gesture that is performed on the touch-screen of said electronic device, a first hand-region of the user is moving while a second hand-region of the user is at rest; based on said user-specific profile, differentiating among multiple users.

In some embodiments, the method comprises: analyzing touch-data of a swipe gesture performed by the user on the touch-screen of said electronic device, to determine an estimated width of a finger of said user; constructing a user-specific profile which comprises said estimated width of the finger of the user; based on said user-specific profile, differentiating among multiple users.

In some embodiments, the method comprises: analyzing touch-data of a swipe gesture performed by the user on the touch-screen of said electronic device, to determine an estimated width of a finger of said user; constructing a user-specific profile which comprises said estimated width of the finger of the user; based on said user-specific profile, differentiating among multiple users.

In some embodiments, the method comprises: analyzing touch-data of a circular swipe gesture performed by the user on the touch-screen of said electronic device, to determine an estimated distance between (A) a tip of a swiping finger of a hand of said user, and (B) a palm of said hand of said user; constructing a user-specific profile which comprises said estimated distance between the tip of the swiping finger and the palm of the hand; based on said user-specific profile, differentiating among multiple users.

In some embodiments, the method comprises: analyzing touch-data of generally-straight swipe gestures performed by user on the touch-screen of said electronic device; determining that a first user typically rotates the electronic device clockwise while performing generally-straight swipe gestures; determining that a second user typically rotates the electronic device counter-clockwise while performing generally-straight swipe gestures; based on said determinations, differentiating among said first and second users.

In some embodiments, the method comprises: analyzing said touch data and said acceleration data of said electronic device, to determine a level of shakiness of the electronic device while the user operates said electronic device; analyzing said touch data and said acceleration data of said electronic device, to determine an effect, of a performed user-gesture, on said level of shakiness of the electronic device; constructing a user-specific profile which comprises an indication of the effect of the performed user-gesture on the level of shakiness of the electronic device; based on said user-specific profile, differentiating among multiple users.

In some embodiments, the method comprises: analyzing said touch data and said acceleration data of said electronic device, to determine that immediately prior to performing an on-screen zoom gesture, the user of the electronic device modifies a tilt angle of the electronic device relative to ground; constructing a user-specific profile which comprises an indication that immediately prior to performing on-screen zoom gestures, the user of the electronic device modifies the tilt angle of the electronic device relative to ground; based on said user-specific profile, differentiating among multiple users.

In some embodiments, the method comprises: sensing by said electronic device a sweat level of the user while the user performs a gesture on said electronic device; determining a relation between the sensed sweat level of the user and at least one of: said touch data of the electronic device, and said acceleration data of said electronic device; based on said relation, differentiating among multiple users.

In some embodiments, the method comprises: sensing by said smartphone a temperature of a body part of the user while the user performs a gesture on said electronic device; determining a relation between the sensed temperature and at least one of: said touch data of the electronic device, and said acceleration data of said electronic device; based on said relation, differentiating among multiple users.

In some embodiments, the method comprises: sensing by said electronic device an amount of pressure of a body part of the user while the user performs a gesture on said electronic device; determining a relation between the sensed amount of pressure and at least one of: said touch data of the electronic device, and said acceleration data of said electronic device; based on said relation, differentiating among multiple users.

In some embodiments, the method comprises: determining a current location of the electronic device; determining a relation among: (A) the current location of the electronic device, and (B) said touch data of the electronic device, and (C) said acceleration data of the electronic device; based on said relation, differentiating among multiple users.

In some embodiments, the method comprises: determining geographic location of the electronic device; determining a relation among: (A) the current location of the electronic device, and (B) said touch data of the electronic device, and (C) said acceleration data of the electronic device; based on said relation, (a) determining that a first user, typically places the electronic device horizontally on a flat surface when utilizing the electronic device in a first geographic location, and (b) determining that said first user, typically holds the electronic device slanted relative to the ground when utilizing the electronic device in a second geographic location; based on said determinations, differentiating among the first user and another user.

In some embodiments, the method comprises: determining a currently-used application of the electronic device, that the user is currently utilizing on said electronic device; determining a relation among: (A) the currently-used application of the electronic device, and (B) said touch data of the electronic device, and (C) said acceleration data of said electronic device; based on said relation, differentiating among multiple users.

In some embodiments, the method comprises: determining a currently-used application of the electronic device, that the user is currently utilizing on said electronic device; determining a relation among: (A) the currently-used application of the electronic device, and (B) said touch data of the electronic device, and (C) said acceleration data of the electronic device; based on said relation, (a) determining that a first user typically holds the electronic device vertically when utilizing a first particular application of the electronic device, and (b) determining that said first user typically holds the electronic device slanted relative to the ground when utilizing a second particular application of the electronic device; based on said determinations, differentiating among multiple users.

In some embodiments, the method comprises: determining whether a current location of the electronic device is outdoors or indoors; determining a relation among: (A) the current location of the electronic device being either outdoors or indoors, and (B) said touch data of the electronic device, and (C) said acceleration data of said electronic device; based on said relation, differentiating among multiple users.

The present invention provides a method for confirming identity of a user of a mobile electronic device, the method including: receiving touch data from a touch-screen of the mobile electronic device; receiving acceleration data from an accelerometer of the mobile electronic device; correlating between the touch data and the acceleration data; based on the correlating, generating a user-specific trait indicative of said user. The method further includes storing a reference value of the user-specific trait, indicative of said user; in a subsequent usage session of the mobile electronic device, generating a current value of the user-specific trait correlating between touch data and acceleration data; and based on a comparison between the current value of the user-specific trait and the reference value of the user-specific trait, determining whether or not a current user of the mobile electronic device is an authorized user of the mobile electronic device.

Some embodiments of the present invention may enable the system to ensure and/or to confirm “Liveness” of the user, of an image or video of the user, or a self-image or self-video of the user, that are submitted by a user or by an electronic device having a camera or imager, for purposes of user authentication or user identity determination, or for purposes of authorizing or blocking access of a user to a local or remote computerized service and/or to the electronic device itself; and/or to prevent, avoid, eliminate, block and/or mitigate a problem or a fraud-attempt in which an attacker or a non-legitimate user or an impostor attempts to perform “spoofing” by submitting to the system (or the electronic device itself, or to a local or remote authentication module) a non-fresh image or video, or a non-freshly-taken image or video, or a previously-recorded image or video or self-image or self-video, or a recording or a capturing of the user or of an image of the user of a video of the user, or of a play-back or a replay or a re-broadcast attempt that attempts to re-submit to the authentication module a previously-captured image or video or an attempt to submit an image or video that lack Liveness and/or that lack Freshness; as well as to provide Liveness Detection and/or Freshness Detection for such user-authentication system.

It is also clarified that although portions of the discussion herein may relate, for demonstrative purposes, to utilization of an image or an image-stream or a video-sequence for user-authentication purposes, the present invention may also be used in conjunction with user-authentication systems and methods and modules that utilize other biometric traits and/or user-specific traits, for example, user speech, user utterance, user audio sample, user audible sounds or words, a combination of audio and video, a combination of audio and an image, a combination of audio and a set of images, a fingerprint of a user, a combination of fingerprint with image and/or video and/or audio, and/or other suitable biometric features and/or combination of biometric features.

The present invention may provide methods, devices, and systems for user authenticating a user, based on an image or photograph or video of the user; and for enabling a log-in process or a sign-in process, to a device or to a local computerized service or to a remote computerized service, based on an image or photograph or video of the user; and for authorizing (or approving, or denying, or blocking) access of a user to a computerized service or to an electronic device, based on an image or photograph or video of the user; and for authorizing a user to “unlock” an electronic device, or to switch an electronic device from “sleep mode” or “standby mode” to fully operational mode, or from being deactivated to being activated, or from being partially-operational to being fully-operational, based on an image or photograph or video of the user. The present invention may further be utilized in other contexts, for example, to authorize or to block physical access of a user into a building or through a physical gate or entrance or exit; to authorize or to block access of a user to a vehicle, or to authorize or to block an attempt of the user to ignite or to start or to drive a vehicle, or the like.

In accordance with the present invention, a freshly-captured image or a video or a photograph of the user may be utilized for user-authentication purposes, in order to authenticate the user to a local device, a remote device, a local service and/or a remote service. For example, a system may firstly or initially capture or receive or obtain a Trusted Image of the user; for example, an image or a video of the user that the user takes in the presence of a third party (e.g., in the presence of a bank clerk, when the computerized service is a banking website or a banking application), or an image or a video of the user that the user takes upon initial creation of a user account, or upon opening a new account, or during a session that is known to be authenticated (e.g., during a usage session that was authorized via a two-step authentication process or via a two-factor authentication process). The Trusted Image, or other such “Reference Image”, may be securely stored locally (e.g., in the electronic device, smartphone, tablet, laptop computer, or the like), and/or may be securely stored remotely (e.g., in a remote server, web server, application server, “cloud computing” server, or the like).

Subsequently, when the user requests to re-access that service or that electronic device, the user is requested to capture a Fresh Image of himself, via an imager or a camera of an electronic device being utilized by the user (e.g., smartphone, tablet). The Fresh Image is compared to the Trusted Image, or is analyzed in relation to it. If the two images are generally matching each other, then the user is authenticated; otherwise, the authentication attempt is blocked or rejected.

In some embodiments, the user may be required to perform one or more gestures or modifications or actions, as part of the authentication process, in order to “prove” to the authentication system that the user is indeed capturing a Fresh Image using the camera, and not, for example, pointing the camera of the device towards a previously-taken image of the user; for example, in order to stop an attacker who obtains a still image of the legitimate user, and then attempts to merely point the camera of the electronic device towards such still image. For example, the system may request the user to Blink one eye, or two eyes, or to perform a sequence of Eye Blinks, or to perform other gestures (e.g., touch his nose with one finger), in order to utilize image analysis and/or video analysis processes, to ensure that the captured image(s) or video indeed depict the required gestures or actions; thereby preventing an attacker from merely pointing the camera towards a still image, or towards a previously-captured image or video of the legitimate user.

Applicants have realized that conventional systems that attempt to utilize a Fresh Image of a user as means for user authentication, suffer from one or more of the following problems or disadvantages: (1) many users utilize a mobile electronic device, such as smartphone or tablet, which has a limited power source (e.g., internal rechargeable battery), and utilization of the camera consumes significant power from the internal power source electronic device, thereby depleting the power source rapidly, and thereby causing resentment of users from continuously utilizing the device's camera for user-authentication purposes. (2) Any third-party application or software module, that performs user authentication based on a freshly-captured image or video of the user, that is installed on the mobile device by any third-party other than the original manufacturer of the electronic device, may be inherently insecure and may be compromised; for example, a malicious code or Trojan or computerized virus or a Remote Access Trojan (RAT) may be used by an attacker in order to gain access to the electronic device and then capture or obtain an image or a “selfie” or a “selfy” image of the user, or to obtain or copy an image or a video of the user from the Gallery of images or videos that is stored locally within the electronic device, thereby compromising the user-authentication process, since the attacker may then utilize the stolen image or the stolen video of the user to authenticate, pretending to be the legitimate user. (3) A third-party application that activates and/or utilizes the camera of the device, for a prolonged time or from prolonged periods of times, or continuously for user authentication purposes, create a privacy risk to the user and/or a security risk; since such application may become a tool or a backdoor for hackers or attackers that may continuously capture images and/or videos of the user, without the user's knowledge or consent. (4) Continuous analysis of image(s) and/or video-sequences, for purposes of user authentication, is a process that consumes significant resources (e.g., memory resources, processing resources, power/battery resources), thereby depleting or draining the resources of the electronic device and/or degrading the quality of operation of the electronic device (e.g., making the device slower, less responsive).

The Applicants have realized that utilization of an image or video of the user, or a “selfie” photograph (self-taken photograph) of the user, for purposes of user authentication, thus suffers from multiple problems or disadvantages: firstly, it attempts to utilize a “secret” or “confidential data” of the user, which is actually available to the general public since an attacker may capture an image or video of the legitimate user, and/or which is available to a skilled hacker by accessing images or videos of the legitimate user (e.g., on the device itself; in a “cloud” repository of images or videos of the user; on a Social Network website or service in which the user posts or shares his videos or images, or in which friends or relatives of the user post or share their own images or videos that contain the legitimate user within them). The security risk increases when the authentication module is not built-in within the electronic device, but rather is a third-party application or a part thereof. Additionally or alternatively, the image-based or video-based user authentication, which appears at first glance to be a “convenient” or a “rapid” process of authentication that many users may like, actually drains or depletes resources of the mobile device (e.g., battery resources, processing resources, memory resources), thereby creating resentment of some users to continuous or frequency utilization of such user-authentication process via a resources-limited electronic device.

The present invention may strengthen the user-authentication process, by including in the authentication process also a sub-process in which the system takes into account “spatial properties” of the device, such as, accelerometer data, gyroscope data, device orientation data, device positioning data, device movement data, device tilt data (e.g., is the device generally horizontal, or generally vertical, or slanted at approximately 30 degrees), device traits that characterize the device when the user captures an image or a video, and/or user-specific traits that characterize the user when he captures an image or a video for authentication purposes; and/or the modification or the change in values of such “spatial properties”; and/or such traits and such data (or, the change in values of such spatial properties) during a time period (e.g., 1 or 2 or 3 or 5 or 10 or K seconds) immediately prior to capturing the image or video for authentication purposes; and/or such traits and such data during a time period (e.g., 1 or 2 or 3 or 5 or 10 or K seconds) immediately after capturing the image or video for authentication purposes. Such additional data and traits may be correlated with the other user-authentication data (e.g., the actual content of the image or the video), in order to improve and strengthen the user-authentication process.

The system of the present invention may correlate between: (I) content of an image or a video, or a “freshly captured” image or video, or a “selfie” photograph or video, or an indicator that a self-image or self-video is being captured or has recently been captured; with (II) accelerometer data and/or gyroscope data and/or device-orientation data and/or device-tilt data, in order to further authenticate the user or to raise a flag that a possible attack is being performed by an attacker instead of the legitimate user.

In a first demonstrative example, the system may monitor the physical traits of the electronic device (e.g., acceleration, orientation, tilting, position, velocity, shaking, or the like), during the time in which the self-image or self-video are captured (and/or immediately before, and/or immediately after); and may determine that the physical traits of the electronic device do not match a physical process of capturing a video or capturing an image. For example, the camera of the electronic device may “see” or may capture an image or a video that appears to be of the user; whereas the device itself reports being at rest and/or not moving, and/or not sufficiently moving in correlation with capturing of an image or a video; thereby indicating that an attacker may be controlling the authentication process, for example, by attempting to submit a previously-captured image or video of the legitimate user. The attacker or possible-attack may be determined or estimated; and the authentication of the user to the device (or to the computerized service, which may be local or remote) is blocked or rejected.

In a second demonstrative example, the system may determine that user Adam, who from time to time authenticates by using a self-taken image of himself, typically or always captures his own image by (a) lifting his smartphone to be at approximately chest level, and (b) tilting his smartphone to be at an angle of approximately 45 degrees relative to the ground. However, in a subsequent user-authentication attempt, the system may monitor the device traits, and may determine that (A) the device is lifted to be at eye level, and/or (B) the device is capturing the image while the device is generally perpendicular to the ground. The system may determine that these fresh traits that characterize the fresh capturing of the self-image or self-video, do not match the historic or previous traits that characterized the capturing of the image or video in prior authentication sessions, or in when a Trusted or a Reference image (or video) was captured; thereby enabling the system to determine or to estimate that an attacker is attempting to authenticate, and not the legitimate user.

In a third example, the electronic device may request the user to take a self-image, and may actually capture a stream or set of images or a video sequence (e.g., including images before, during and after the moment in which the user pushes a “snapshot” button). The electronic device may determine that the sequence of multiple frames or multiple images, does not show any “shaking movement”; whereas accelerometer data and/or gyroscope data indicate that the device was “shaken” or “shaking” during that time period or a portion thereof. The system may thus determine or estimate that a fraudulent log-in attempt or a fraudulent authentication attempt is being carried out, and may block or reject the attacker.

The present invention may thus correlate between self-taken image(s) and/or self-taken video, or “freshly captured” image(s) or video, and fresh data and traits of the electronic device during (and/or before, and/or after) capturing such image or video, in order to verify: (a) that the image or video was indeed freshly captured in real time, based on accelerator data, gyroscope data, device orientation data, or the like, rather than the image or the video being submitted by an attacker; (b) that the image (or video) and the accelerometer data (or gyroscope data, or other device data) match (or do not contradict each other) from orientation perspective or from gyroscope perspective, or the like; for example, “shake” events of the image or the video are indeed correlating to actual “shake” movements of the electronic device; image or video shakes are correlated with accelerometer data; that the orientation and gyroscope data are matching to the camera position in relation to the user; that hands shaking are the same, that video movements are matching with gyroscope and accelerometer data, or the like.

In some embodiments, the system of the present invention may provide a power-saving and/or resources-saving user authentication process that utilizes a self-image or a self-video of the user; for example, by selectively activating the imager or the camera only in the beginning of (or, only during an initial phase of) the user-authentication process; then, deactivating or turning-off the camera or imager of the device, to conserve power; and subsequently, to re-activate or turn-on the imager or camera again, only if device traits (e.g., accelerometer data, gyroscope data, device-orientation data) indicate that a risk is estimated or that an additional or extended validation of the user identity is required.

For example, instead of continuous activation of the camera or imager during an entirety of the user authentication process (e.g., spanning a period of ten seconds), the present invention may utilize a three-step method.

(A) Firstly, the camera is turned-on for a shortened time-period (e.g., only two seconds; by a camera activation unit or module), thereby capturing a short sequence of images or video, while the device also collects or senses or monitors device-traits (e.g., acceleration, gyroscope data, device orientation, device tilt, or the like).

(B) Then, the camera is turned-off or deactivated (by a camera deactivation unit or module), to conserve power or to save power, or to reduce power consumption; while the electronic device continues to sense, monitor and collect device-traits (e.g., acceleration, gyroscope data, device orientation, device tilt, or the like).

(C) Then, the method proceeds by branching into one of two branches of operations. In a first branch (C1), immediate analysis of the device traits, indicates that the device traits indeed correlate with the image (or video) that were captured; and therefore no further imaging is required. Alternatively, in a second branch (C2), immediate analysis of the device traits, indicates that the device traits do not correlate with (or do not match) the image (or video) that were allegedly captured, and the camera is again activated (or turned on) in order to capture additional frame(s) of the user for further user-authentication purposes.

In accordance with this method, the user authentication begins with face recognition in correlation with accelerometer/gyroscope data (or other spatial properties of the device, as sensed or measured via the sensor(s) of the device; and then continues without an activated camera and only with the accelerometer/gyroscope activated, in order to save battery and save power consumption, while the system “knows” that indeed the same user is being authenticated. The accelerometer/gyroscope of the electronic device thus operate as a “continuation” means to the freshly-captured video (or sequence of frames or images), but thereby consuming significantly less power relative to an active camera or imager; and only if the device or the system estimates a risk, based on the accelerometer/gyroscope data, then the camera will again be activated for further validation or for final validation of the user identity

The method and system of the present invention may be utilized with a variety of devices, and/or for authenticating a user to a variety of purposes; for example, for accessing a smartphone or tablet or smart-watch or laptop computer or desktop computer; for accessing an Internet of Things (IoT) device or appliance, or an Internet connected appliance or device; for accessing a website or a web-based service, a mobile application, an “app”, a computerized service, a “cloud computing” service, a remote service, a secured service that requires authentication (e.g., email account, web-mail account, social network account, online banking account, online brokerage account); for accessing or traversing or entering or exiting a physical gate or door or entrance or exit (e.g., of a building, an office, a vehicle); for igniting or starting or driving a vehicle; and/or for other suitable tasks or systems in which user authentication is utilizes as a condition for granting or blocking access.

Some embodiments of the present invention may perform, utilize, determine and/or estimate, for example, relation or correlation or other association between: (a) one or more behavioral parameters or traits, or one or more device-specific traits or user-specific traits that may be sensed or measured or estimated when (or during, or before, or after) the user handles or operates the electronic device (e.g., acceleration of the electronic device, information sensed by accelerometer(s) and/or gyroscope(s) of the electronic device, slanting or tilting of the electronic device, or the like), or user-specific behavioral traits (e.g., user Adam typically lifts his smartphone vertically before capturing a self-image; user Bob typically spins his smartphone counter-clockwise immediately before or immediately after taking a self-image); and, (b) the actual content of the biometric user-identifying or user-authenticating trait, such as, self-image or image of the user, self-video or vide of the user, audio or speech or voice of the user, fingerprint of the user, or the like.

The monitoring of these two groups or sets of parameters or information, and the estimation or the detection of a relation or a correlation or an association between the two groups or sets, may be utilized: (A) to ensure Liveness or to confirm Liveness, and/or (B) to eliminate or reduce “spoofing” attacks or other attacks or fraud attempts, and/or (C) to increase the reliability and/or the Freshness of the biometric content that is relied upon (e.g., the content of the image or video or audio or fingerprint), and/or (D) to save or conserve battery consumption or power consumption, particularly in an authentication system that utilizes such biometric authentication frequently (e.g., several times per hour or per day) and/or continuously (e.g., by selectively activating the imager or other biometric sensor only part-time during an initial stage of the user-authentication process, and utilizing other sensors such as accelerometer and gyroscopes, which are less power-consuming, to provide assistive measurements which may be correlated or associated as described above).

In some embodiments, the electronic device may comprise one or more fingerprint scanner(s) and/or fingerprint reader(s), which may be located at the front side (e.g., screen size) of the device and/or at the rear side (e.g., back side) of the device. The fingerprint scanner may capture a fingerprint scan of a user, which may be used by the electronic device, or by a remote server, for user-authentication purposes, or as a user-authentication factor (e.g., by itself, or as part of a multi-factor user-authentication processes). For example, a reference fingerprint scan of the user may be initially (or periodically) captured; and it may be stored (or, its digital representation or hashed value or encrypted version may be stored), locally within storage or secure storage of the electronic device and/or remotely at a remote server to which the user authenticates. In a subsequent log-in or log-on or user-authentication session, the user is requested to capture and/or to submit, for authentication purposes, a fresh or freshly-captured fingerprint scan, which is then compared to (or analyzed for similarity relative to) the reference fingerprint scan. If the freshly-captured fingerprint scan, is sufficiently similar to the previously-stored reference fingerprint scan (or, if their hashed values are sufficiently similar), taking into account one or more threshold values of similarity and/or range of values that indicate similarity, then the user is authenticated.

Applicants have realized that utilization of such fingerprint scan(s) may suffer from a “liveness” problem, in which an attacker or an impostor may submit a “lifted” fingerprint or an imitation fingerprint, or a digital representation thereof, as an attempt to authenticate as the legitimate user. Accordingly, the present invention may check whether, during the submission of the fresh fingerprint scan, and/or shortly before such submission (e.g., in the K seconds or milliseconds that immediately precede the submission of the “fresh” fingerprint scan to the authentication module or process; for example, K being 1 second or 2 seconds or 3 seconds), and/or shortly after such submission, the electronic device has or has not sensed, via its sensors (e.g., accelerometer(s), gyroscope(s), compass unit(s), other sensors), geo-spatial characteristics or device characteristics that correspond to a user touching or engaging with such fingerprint scanner; such as, change in acceleration or deceleration of the device, change in device orientation or slanting angle or tilt, change in device velocity or speed of movement in space, spinning or rotation of the device, or the like. Detection of such geo-spatial changes may indicate that the currently-submitted fingerprint scan is indeed “freshly captured”; whereas, lack of such geo-spatial changes, or detection of insufficient or small spatial changes (e.g., smaller than a pre-defined threshold value), may indicate (by itself, and/or with other factors) that the currently-submitted fingerprint scan is non-fresh or non-freshly-captured.

For example, the electronic device may detect, that a fingerprint scan was allegedly captured and then was submitted for user authentication; however, during the 4 seconds (or K seconds) that preceded immediately prior to such submission, and/or during such submission operation, and/or during the 2 seconds (or N seconds) that immediately followed such submission, the device accelerometers have sensed no device acceleration, and/or have measured insufficient device acceleration (e.g., below a predefined threshold value) that does not correspond to an indication that the device was moved or tilted for capturing the alleged fresh fingerprint; and/or that the device gyroscope(s) have sensed no change in device orientation or position or tilt or slanting, and/or have measured insufficient change in device orientation or slanting or position or tilt (e.g., below a predefined threshold value) that does not correspond to an indication that the device was moved or tilted for capturing the alleged fresh fingerprint. In such situation, the device may determine that the alleged, freshly-submitted, fingerprint scan, was not accompanied (during the submission, and/or immediately prior to the submission, and/or immediately after the submission) with geo-spatial changes of the device (or its acceleration, orientation, tilt, geo-spatial positioning or slanting) or with sufficient geo-spatial changes (e.g., based on threshold values, or a range of values), and therefore lack of “liveness” or lack of “freshness” is declared; and in turn, the user authentication is denied or is rejected, or the user is required to perform additional authentication steps.

In some embodiments, a lookup table of reference values, and/or a range of reference values, as well as lookup operations or comparison operations of measured (or sensed) values relative to such reference values, may be used in order to determine sufficiency or insufficiency of changes in device properties that accompany a touch-event or a capture (or submission) of a self-image or a capture (or submission) of a fingerprint scan, or in order to establish whether or not the measured or sensed spatial properties of the device match an “expected” set or range of values that are “expected” to accompany a capturing or an inputting or a submission of such sample, or that are “expected” to precede immediately prior to (or to follow immediately after) such capturing or submission or inputting of such sample.

For example, a lookup table or a pre-defined range of values, may be configured such that, device acceleration of at least K m/s² indicates sufficient device acceleration that accompanies a fresh capturing of self-taken image or fingerprint scan or touch event or other biometric sample; whereas, device acceleration that is smaller than said value is insufficient and the “fresh” sample is estimated to be illegitimate (e.g., an attacker, an impostor, a replay attack, or the like). In another example, a lookup table or a pre-defined range of values, may be configured such that, device orientation of at least K degrees relative to a vertical plane, indicates sufficient device orientation that accompanies a fresh capturing of self-taken image or fingerprint scan or touch event or other biometric sample; whereas, device orientation that is smaller than said value is insufficient and the “fresh” sample is estimated to be illegitimate (e.g., an attacker, an impostor, a replay attack, or the like). Other conditions may be used.

In some embodiments, the user authentication process, which is performed by a user authentication module or unit of the electronic device and/or by a user authentication module or unit of a remote server, further takes into account, a comparison or the similarity between: (i) the changes in geo-spatial properties or characteristics of the device during (and/or immediately before, and/or immediately after) the current submission and/or the current alleged-capturing of fingerprint scan, and (ii) the changes in geo-spatial properties or characteristics of the device during (and/or immediately before, and/or immediately after) the time in which the reference fingerprint scan was captured. The level of similarity, e.g., optionally calculated by using a lookup table or a suitable weighted formula or equation, or by using reference values or pre-defined threshold values, may be used in order to confirm the identity of the user and/or the authenticity of the submitted “fresh” fingerprint scan. For example, during (and/or immediately prior to, and/or immediately after) the capturing of the original, Reference, fingerprint scan, the electronic device measures and senses and stores the geo-spatial properties of the device and the changes in such properties (e.g., device acceleration, orientation, tilt, slanting, spinning, rotation, lifting up, moving down, or the like); and it may generate and store a reference signature of one or more such changes that accompanied the inputting of the Reference fingerprint scan. For example, when user Adam inputs his initial, Reference, fingerprint scan, user Adam accelerated the device at 30 degrees relative to the ground and/or has tilted the device 45 degrees horizontally immediately prior to scanning his finger (e.g., within the 2 seconds immediately prior to capturing and/or submitting of the Reference fingerprint scan). Subsequently, attacker or impostor Bob attempts to authenticate via the electronic device, and submits a “freshly captured” fingerprint scan (or a digital representation thereof); while doing so, attacker Bob moves the electronic device, thereby causing the system to confirm Liveness; however, attacker Bob moves the electronic device in a different manner, during or before or after the submission or the capturing of the fresh fingerprint scan, a manner that is different from the Reference Manner that the legitimate user Adam had exhibited when user Adam has captured the original, Reference, fingerprint scan (e.g., user Bob rotates the device counter-clockwise by 70 degrees prior to the scanning of the current fingerprint; whereas user Adam did not exhibit such rotation, and instead had exhibited other geo-spatial changes to the device).

Accordingly, the electronic device (or a remote server) may compare and analyze the properties of the electronic device, sensed immediately before and/or during and/or immediately after the submission of the fresh fingerprint scan; and may compare the currently-sensed parameters to one or more of: (i) the historical parameters of the device (acceleration, device orientation, device tilt, device slanting, or the like) that had accompanied, and were measured and sensed at, the initial capturing of the Reference fingerprint scan; and/or (ii) a set of one or more geo-spatial parameters of the device, that were captured during one or more previous authentication sessions of that user; and/or (iii) an average, or weighted average, or other statistical formula or function, or previously-captured changes in the geo-spatial properties of the electronic device during previous fingerprint-based authentication sessions (e.g., detecting that Typically, use Adam rotates his device clockwise by 80 degrees, immediately prior to scanning his fingerprint; whereas the current user does not exhibit this change in properties of the device, that was sensed in 92 percent of the previous user authentication sessions of user Adam); and/or (iv) the geo-spatial properties of the device, as captured in a recent user-authentication session that was approved (e.g., within the past K days, the past 3 days, the most-recent 7 days, or the like), or in the most-recent authentication session that was approved.

The present invention may thus utilize the geo-spatial properties and characteristics of the electronic device, as well as changes in such geo-spatial properties and characteristics, that are sensed and measured by the device during and/or immediately prior to and/or immediately subsequent to the submission (and/or the capturing) of the “current” fingerprint scan, in order to: (i) confirm or detect “liveness” or “freshness” of the currently-submitted fingerprint scan; and/or (ii) reject a fingerprint scan that is estimated to be non-fresh or that is estimate to lack liveness or to lack sufficient liveness properties; and/or (iii) compare the currently-measured geo-spatial properties of the device, to previously-sensed geo-spatial properties that had accompanied the inputting of the Reference fingerprint scan, in order to detect a possible attacker or impostor; and/or (iv) compare the currently-measured geo-spatial properties of the device, to previously-sensed geo-spatial properties that had accompanied the inputting of one or more previous fingerprint scan(s), in order to detect a possible attacker or impostor.

It is clarified that the system or the device may take into account, analysis of sensed device parameters (e.g., geo-spatial parameters, acceleration, deceleration, device orientation, device tilt, device slanting, or the like) that “accompany” the submission and/or the capturing of a user-authentication factor (e.g., a fingerprint scan; a retina scan; entry of a password or PIN or pass-phrase; entry of a biometric sample, voice sample, speech sample, audio sample; capturing of a “selfie” or “selfy” image or photograph or video-clip; a user-specific behavioral parameter that can be extracted from tracking of user interactions with the electronic device and/or with the computerized system; a user-specific cognitive parameter that can be extracted from tracking of user interactions with the electronic device and/or with the computerized system; a user-specific physiological parameter that can be extracted from tracking of user interactions with the electronic device and/or with the computerized system; a level or an intensity (or other characteristic) of force or pressure that the user applies to a touch-screen or to a touch-pad or to other touch-based unit or input unit or interface; or the like); wherein such “accompanying” parameters are sensed or captured during the submission of the user-authentication factor and/or immediately prior to such submission and/or immediately following such submission; and/or wherein such “accompanying” parameters are sensed and captured during the alleged or the proffered capturing of the currently-submitted fingerprint or immediately prior to such alleged capturing or immediately following such alleged capturing. It is further clarified that although portions of the discussion herein my relate, for demonstrative purposes, to a self-taken image and/or to a fingerprint scan as biometric factors or as user-authentication factors, the present invention may be utilized in conjunction with other biometric features and/or other biometric samples and/or other user-authentication factors, whose liveness and/or freshness and/or authenticity may thus be confirmed or detected (or denied) by using the mechanisms of the present invention.

The similarity, or the level of similarity, between the currently-sensed geo-spatial properties or device properties, that are sensed as accompanying a current submission or a current alleged capturing of a fresh sample (e.g., self-image, fingerprint scan), may be compared to a previous set of reference values, or to a set of one or more threshold values. Comparison operations may be used to determine whether sufficient similarity is detected. For example, if the reference sample was captured when the device exhibits a rotation counter-clockwise of 85 degrees; and a fresh sample is captured when the device exhibits a rotation counter-clockwise of 79 degrees; then, the device or the computerized system may determine that the two properties are sufficiently close to each other, since, for example, the freshly-measured value (counter-clockwise rotation) is the same type of device property as the reference measurement (counter-clockwise rotation), and the currently-measured numerical value (79 degrees of rotation) is within K percent of the reference measurement value (85 degrees of rotation), such as, K may be configured as 5 percent or 10 percent of 16 percent or other suitable similarity level that allows some pre-defined level of difference while still enabling to detect similarity. Additionally or alternatively, a Range of values may be used to determine similarity or sufficient similarity; such as, for example, the device may be configured to accept as “sufficiently similar” a contemporary counter-clockwise rotation in the range of 75 to 95 degrees (namely, plus or minus ten degrees relative to the Reference value). Other suitable methods may be used to determine sufficient similarity or match or matching of current and historical (or reference) geo-spatial properties or device properties.

Some embodiments may include a method comprising: (a) generating a user-authentication process that utilizes at least a self-taken image of a user of an electronic device, as an authentication factor for authenticating said user to a computerized service; (b) in said user-authentication process, determining whether: (I) a submission by said user of said self-taken image, follows after a time-period in which geo-spatial characteristics of the electronic device indicate that the electronic device was utilized for capturing said self-image of the user, or (II) the submission by said user of said self-taken image, does not follow a time-period in which geo-spatial characteristics indicate that the electronic device was utilized for capturing said self-image of the user; (c) if it is determined that the submission by said user of said self-taken image, does not follow a time-period in which geo-spatial characteristics indicate that the electronic device was utilized for capturing said self-image of the user, then: triggering an alert that said self-taken image is estimated to be a not-freshly-captured image of said user.

In some embodiments, the method comprises: sensing via an accelerometer of the electronic device, device-acceleration data that accompanies the submission by said user of said self-taken image; determining that device-acceleration data, that accompanies the submission by said user of said self-taken image, does not correspond to device-acceleration data that is expected to accompany submission of a fresh self-taken image; and based on said determining, triggering a determination that said self-taken image is estimated to be a not-freshly-captured image of said user.

In some embodiments, the method comprises: sensing via a gyroscope of the device, device-orientation data that accompanies the submission by said user of said self-taken image; determining that device-orientation data, that accompanies the submission by said user of said self-taken image, does not correspond to device-orientation data that is expected to accompany submission of a fresh self-taken image; and based on said determining, triggering a determination that said self-taken image is estimated to be a not-freshly-captured image of said user.

In some embodiments, the method comprises: sensing via an accelerometer of the electronic device, device-acceleration data immediately prior to the submission by said user of said self-taken image; determining that device-acceleration data, that was sensed immediately prior to the submission by said user of said self-taken image, does not correspond to device-acceleration data that is expected to precede submission of a fresh self-taken image; and based on said determining, triggering a determination that said self-taken image is estimated to be a not-freshly-captured image of said user.

In some embodiments, the method comprises: sensing via a gyroscope of the electronic device, device-orientation data immediately prior to the submission by said user of said self-taken image; determining that device-orientation data, that was sensed immediately prior to the submission by said user of said self-taken image, does not correspond to device-orientation data that is expected to precede submission of a fresh self-taken image; and based on said determining, triggering a determination that said self-taken image is estimated to be a not-freshly-captured image of said user.

In some embodiments, a process comprises: (a) generating a user-authentication process that utilizes at least a self-taken image of a user of an electronic device, as an authentication factor for authenticating said user to a computerized service; (b) capturing a reference self-image of the user, to be used subsequently as an authentication factor for authenticating said user; (c) during said capturing of the reference self-image of the user, sensing also spatial properties of said electronic device, via at least one of: an accelerometer of said electronic device, and a gyroscope of said electronic device; (d) subsequently, receiving from said user a currently-submitted self-image, that the user submits as a user-authentication factor; (e) determining whether or not during a time-period, that is immediately prior to submission of the currently-submitted self-image, the electronic device sensed spatial device properties that are at least similar, beyond a pre-defined threshold of similarity, to the spatial device properties that were sensed during the capturing of the reference self-image in step (c); and (f) if it is determined that during said time-period, that is immediately prior to submission of the currently-submitted self-image, the electronic device sensed spatial device properties that are at least similar, beyond a pre-defined threshold of similarity, to the spatial device properties data that was sensed during the capturing of the reference self-image in step (c), then: triggering an alert that said self-taken image is estimated to be a not-freshly-captured image of said user.

In some embodiments, step (c) comprises: during said capturing of the reference self-image of the user, sensing device-acceleration data of said electronic device, via the accelerometer of said electronic device; wherein step (e) comprises: determining whether or not during the time-period, that is immediately prior to submission of the currently-submitted self-image, the accelerometer of the electronic device sensed device-acceleration data that is least similar, beyond a pre-defined threshold of similarity, to the device-acceleration data that was sensed during the capturing of the reference self-image in step (c); wherein step (f) comprises: if it is determined that during the time-period, that is immediately prior to submission of the currently-submitted self-image, the accelerometer of the device did not sense device-acceleration data that is least similar, beyond a pre-defined threshold of similarity, to the device-acceleration data that was sensed during the capturing of the reference self-image in step (c), then: triggering an alert that said self-taken image is estimated to be a not-freshly-captured image of said user.

In some embodiments, step (c) comprises: during said capturing of the reference self-image of the user, sensing device-orientation data of said electronic device, via the gyroscope of said electronic device; step (e) comprises: determining whether or not during the time-period, that is immediately prior to submission of the currently-submitted self-image, the gyroscope of the electronic device sensed device-orientation data that is least similar, beyond a pre-defined threshold of similarity, to the device-orientation data that was sensed during the capturing of the reference self-image in step (c); step (f) comprises: if it is determined that during the time-period, that is immediately prior to submission of the currently-submitted self-image, the gyroscope of the electronic device did not sense device-orientation data that is least similar, beyond a pre-defined threshold of similarity, to the device-orientation data that was sensed during the capturing of the reference self-image in step (c), then: triggering an alert that said self-taken image is estimated to be a not-freshly-captured image of said user.

In some embodiments, a method comprises: (a) generating a user-authentication process that utilizes at least a fingerprint scan of a user of an electronic device, captured via a fingerprint scanner of said electronic device, as an authentication factor for authenticating said user to a computerized service; (b) in said user-authentication process, determining whether (I) a submission by said user of said fingerprint scan, is accompanied by sensed spatial characteristics of the electronic device which indicate that the electronic device is being utilized for capturing said fingerprint scan, or (II) the submission by said user of said fingerprint scan, is accompanied by sensed spatial characteristics of the electronic device which indicate that the electronic device is not being utilized for capturing said fingerprint scan; (c) if it is determined that the submission by said user of said fingerprint scan, is accompanied by sensed spatial characteristics of the electronic device which indicate that the electronic device is not being utilized for capturing said fingerprint scan, then: triggering an alert that said fingerprint scan is estimated to be a not-freshly-captured fingerprint scan.

In some embodiments, the method comprises: sensing via an accelerometer of the electronic device, device-acceleration data that accompanies the submission by said user of said fingerprint scan; determining that device-acceleration data, that accompanies the submission by said user of said fingerprint scan, does not correspond to device-acceleration data that is expected to accompany submission of a fresh fingerprint scan; and based on said determining, triggering a determination that said fingerprint scan is estimated to be a not-freshly-captured image of said user.

In some embodiments, the method comprises: sensing via a gyroscope of the electronic device, device-orientation data that accompanies the submission by said user of said fingerprint scan; determining that device-orientation data, that accompanies the submission by said user of said fingerprint scan, does not correspond to device-orientation data that is expected to accompany submission of a fresh fingerprint scan; and based on said determining, triggering a determination that said fingerprint scan is estimated to be a not-freshly-captured image of said user.

In some embodiments, the method comprises: sensing via an accelerometer of the electronic device, device-acceleration data immediately prior to the submission by said user of said fingerprint scan; determining that device-acceleration data, that was sensed immediately prior to the submission by said user of said fingerprint scan, does not correspond to device-acceleration data that is expected to precede submission of a fresh fingerprint scan; and based on said determining, triggering a determination that said fingerprint scan is estimated to be a not-freshly-captured fingerprint scan of said user.

In some embodiments, the method comprises: sensing via a gyroscope of the electronic device, device-orientation data immediately prior to the submission by said user of said fingerprint scan; determining that device-orientation data, that was sensed immediately prior to the submission by said user of said fingerprint scan, does not correspond to device-orientation data that is expected to precede submission of a fresh fingerprint scan; and based on said determining, triggering a determination that said fingerprint scan is estimated to be a not-freshly-captured fingerprint scan of said user.

In some embodiments, a process comprises: (a) generating a user-authentication process that utilizes at least a fingerprint scan of a user of an electronic device, captured via a fingerprint scanner of said electronic device, as an authentication factor for authenticating said user to a computerized service; (b) capturing a reference fingerprint scan of the user, to be used subsequently as an authentication factor for authenticating said user; (c) during said capturing of the reference fingerprint scan, sensing also acceleration data/gyroscope data/device-orientation data of said electronic device, from an accelerometer/gyroscope of said electronic device; (d) subsequently, receiving from said user a currently-submitted fingerprint scan, that the user submits as a user-authentication factor; (e) determining whether or not during a time-period, that is immediately prior to submission of the currently-submitted fingerprint scan, the electronic device sensed acceleration data/gyroscope data/device-orientation data that are at least similar, beyond a pre-defined threshold of similarity, to the acceleration data/gyroscope data/device-orientation data that was sensed during the capturing of the reference fingerprint scan in step (c); (f) if it is determined that during a time-period, that is immediately prior to submission of the currently-submitted fingerprint scan, the electronic device did not acceleration data/gyroscope data/device-orientation data that are at least similar, beyond a pre-defined threshold of similarity, to the acceleration data/gyroscope data/device-orientation data that was sensed during the capturing of the reference fingerprint scan in step (c), then: triggering an alert that the currently-submitted fingerprint scan is estimated to be a not-freshly-captured fingerprint scan.

In some embodiments, step (c) comprises: during said capturing of the reference fingerprint scan of the user, sensing device-acceleration data of said electronic device, via the accelerometer of said electronic device; wherein step (e) comprises: determining whether or not during the time-period, that is immediately prior to submission of the currently-submitted fingerprint scan, the accelerometer of the electronic device sensed device-acceleration data that is least similar, beyond a pre-defined threshold of similarity, to the device-acceleration data that was sensed during the capturing of the reference fingerprint scan in step (c); wherein step (f) comprises: if it is determined that during the time-period, that is immediately prior to submission of the currently-submitted fingerprint scan, the accelerometer of the electronic device did not sense device-acceleration data that is least similar, beyond a pre-defined threshold of similarity, to the device-acceleration data that was sensed during the capturing of the reference fingerprint scan in step (c), then: triggering an alert that said self-taken image is estimated to be a not-freshly-captured fingerprint scan of said user.

In some embodiments, step (c) comprises: during said capturing of the reference fingerprint scan of the user, sensing device-orientation data of said electronic device, via the gyroscope of said electronic device; wherein step (e) comprises: determining whether or not during the time-period, that is immediately prior to submission of the currently-submitted fingerprint scan, the gyroscope of the electronic device sensed device-orientation data that is least similar, beyond a pre-defined threshold of similarity, to the device-orientation data that was sensed during the capturing of the reference fingerprint scan in step (c); wherein step (f) comprises: if it is determined that during the time-period, that is immediately prior to submission of the currently-submitted fingerprint scan, the gyroscope of the electronic device did not sense device-orientation data that is least similar, beyond a pre-defined threshold of similarity, to the device-orientation data that was sensed during the capturing of the reference fingerprint scan in step (c), then: triggering an alert that said fingerprint scan is estimated to be a not-freshly-captured fingerprint scan of said user.

Embodiments of the present invention may be utilized with a variety of devices or systems having a touch-screen or a touch-sensitive surface; for example, a smartphone, a cellular phone, a mobile phone, a smart-watch, a tablet, a handheld device, a portable electronic device, a portable gaming device, a portable audio/video player, an Augmented Reality (AR) device or headset or gear, a Virtual Reality (VR) device or headset or gear, a “kiosk” type device, a vending machine, an Automatic Teller Machine (ATM), a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a vehicular computer, a vehicular dashboard, a vehicular touch-screen, or the like.

Although portions of the discussion herein relate, for demonstrative purposes, to wired links and/or wired communications, some embodiments of the present invention are not limited in this regard, and may include one or more wired or wireless links, may utilize one or more components of wireless communication, may utilize one or more methods or protocols of wireless communication, or the like. Some embodiments may utilize wired communication and/or wireless communication.

The system(s) and/or device(s) of the present invention may optionally comprise, or may be implemented by utilizing suitable hardware components and/or software components; for example, processors, processor cores, Central Processing Units (CPUs), Digital Signal Processors (DSPs), circuits, Integrated Circuits (ICs), controllers, memory units, registers, accumulators, storage units, input units (e.g., touch-screen, keyboard, keypad, stylus, mouse, touchpad, joystick, trackball, microphones), output units (e.g., screen, touch-screen, monitor, display unit, audio speakers), acoustic microphone(s) and/or sensor(s), optical microphone(s) and/or sensor(s), laser or laser-based microphone(s) and/or sensor(s), wired or wireless modems or transceivers or transmitters or receivers, GPS receiver or GPS element or other location-based or location-determining unit or system, network elements (e.g., routers, switches, hubs, antennas), and/or other suitable components and/or modules.

The system(s) and/or devices of the present invention may optionally be implemented by utilizing co-located components, remote components or modules, “cloud computing” servers or devices or storage, client/server architecture, peer-to-peer architecture, distributed architecture, and/or other suitable architectures or system topologies or network topologies.

In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, calculations, operations and/or determinations may be performed locally within a single device, or may be performed by or across multiple devices, or may be performed partially locally and partially remotely (e.g., at a remote server) by optionally utilizing a communication channel to exchange raw data and/or processed data and/or processing results.

Some embodiments may be implemented by using a special-purpose machine or a specific-purpose device that is not a generic computer, or by using a non-generic computer or a non-general computer or machine. Such system or device may utilize or may comprise one or more components or units or modules that are not part of a “generic computer” and that are not part of a “general purpose computer”, for example, cellular transceivers, cellular transmitter, cellular receiver, GPS unit, location-determining unit, accelerometer(s), gyroscope(s), device-orientation detectors or sensors, device-positioning detectors or sensors, or the like.

Some embodiments may be implemented as, or by utilizing, an automated method or automated process, or a machine-implemented method or process, or as a semi-automated or partially-automated method or process, or as a set of steps or operations which may be executed or performed by a computer or machine or system or other device.

Some embodiments may be implemented by using code or program code or machine-readable instructions or machine-readable code, which may be stored on a non-transitory storage medium or non-transitory storage article (e.g., a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, a physical memory unit, a physical storage unit), such that the program or code or instructions, when executed by a processor or a machine or a computer, cause such processor or machine or computer to perform a method or process as described herein. Such code or instructions may be or may comprise, for example, one or more of: software, a software module, an application, a program, a subroutine, instructions, an instruction set, computing code, words, values, symbols, strings, variables, source code, compiled code, interpreted code, executable code, static code, dynamic code; including (but not limited to) code or instructions in high-level programming language, low-level programming language, object-oriented programming language, visual programming language, compiled programming language, interpreted programming language, C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, SQL, Ruby on Rails, Go, Cobol, Fortran, ActionScript, AJAX, XML, JSON, Lisp, Eiffel, Verilog, Hardware Description Language (HDL, BASIC, Visual BASIC, Matlab, Pascal, HTML, HTML5, CSS, Perl, Python, PHP, machine language, machine code, assembly language, or the like.

Discussions herein utilizing terms such as, for example, “processing”, “computing”, “calculating”, “determining”, “establishing”, “analyzing”, “checking”, “detecting”, “measuring”, or the like, may refer to operation(s) and/or process(es) of a processor, a computer, a computing platform, a computing system, or other electronic device or computing device, that may automatically and/or autonomously manipulate and/or transform data represented as physical (e.g., electronic) quantities within registers and/or accumulators and/or memory units and/or storage units into other data or that may perform other suitable operations.

Some embodiments of the present invention may perform steps or operations such as, for example, “determining”, “identifying”, “comparing”, “checking”, “querying”, “searching”, “matching”, and/or “analyzing”, by utilizing, for example: a pre-defined threshold value to which one or more parameter values may be compared; a comparison between (i) sensed or measured or calculated value(s), and (ii) pre-defined or dynamically-generated threshold value(s) and/or range values and/or upper limit value and/or lower limit value and/or maximum value and/or minimum value; a comparison or matching between sensed or measured or calculated data, and one or more values as stored in a look-up table or a legend table or a list of reference value(s) or a database of reference values or ranges; a comparison or matching or searching process which searches for matches and/or identical results and/or similar results and/or sufficiently-close results, among multiple values or limits that are stored in a database or look-up table; utilization of one or more equations, formula, weighted formula, and/or other calculation in order to determine similarity or a match between or among parameters or values; utilization of comparator units, lookup tables, threshold values, conditions, conditioning logic, Boolean operator(s) and/or other suitable components and/or operations.

The terms “plurality” and “a plurality”, as used herein, include, for example, “multiple” or “two or more”. For example, “a plurality of items” includes two or more items.

References to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “demonstrative embodiment”, “various embodiments”, “some embodiments”, and/or similar terms, may indicate that the embodiment(s) so described may optionally include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment necessarily includes the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Repeated use of the phrase “in one embodiment” does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, although it may. Repeated use of the phrase “in some embodiments” does not necessarily refer to the same set or group of embodiments, although it may.

As used herein, and unless otherwise specified, the utilization of ordinal adjectives such as “first”, “second”, “third”, “fourth”, and so forth, to describe an item or an object, merely indicates that different instances of such like items or objects are being referred to; and does not intend to imply as if the items or objects so described must be in a particular given sequence, either temporally, spatially, in ranking, or in any other ordering manner.

Some embodiments may comprise, or may be implemented by using, an “app” or application which may be downloaded or obtained from an “app store” or “applications store”, for free or for a fee, or which may be pre-installed on a computing device or electronic device, or which may be transported to and/or installed on such computing device or electronic device.

Functions, operations, components and/or features described herein with reference to one or more embodiments of the present invention, may be combined with, or may be utilized in combination with, one or more other functions, operations, components and/or features described herein with reference to one or more other embodiments of the present invention.

While certain features of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications, substitutions, changes, and equivalents may occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the claims are intended to cover all such modifications, substitutions, changes, and equivalents. 

1. A method comprising: (a) generating a user-authentication process that utilizes at least a self-taken image of a user of an electronic device, as an authentication factor for authenticating said user to a computerized service; (b) in said user-authentication process, determining whether: (I) a submission by said user of said self-taken image, follows after a time-period in which spatial characteristics of the electronic device indicate that the electronic device was utilized for capturing said self-image of the user, or (II) the submission by said user of said self-taken image, does not follow a time-period in which spatial characteristics indicate that the electronic device was utilized for capturing said self-image of the user; (c) if it is determined that the submission by said user of said self-taken image, does not follow a time-period in which spatial characteristics indicate that the electronic device was utilized for capturing said self-image of the user, then: triggering an alert that said self-taken image is estimated to be a not-freshly-captured image of said user.
 2. The method of claim 1, comprising: sensing via an accelerometer of the electronic device, device-acceleration data that accompanies the submission by said user of said self-taken image; determining that device-acceleration data, that accompanies the submission by said user of said self-taken image, does not correspond to device-acceleration data that is expected to accompany submission of a fresh self-taken image; and based on said determining, triggering a determination that said self-taken image is estimated to be a not-freshly-captured image of said user.
 3. The method of claim 1, comprising: sensing via a gyroscope of the electronic device, device-orientation data that accompanies the submission by said user of said self-taken image; determining that device-orientation data, that accompanies the submission by said user of said self-taken image, does not correspond to device-orientation data that is expected to accompany submission of a fresh self-taken image; and based on said determining, triggering a determination that said self-taken image is estimated to be a not-freshly-captured image of said user.
 4. The method of claim 1, comprising: sensing via an accelerometer of the electronic device, device-acceleration data immediately prior to the submission by said user of said self-taken image; determining that device-acceleration data, that was sensed immediately prior to the submission by said user of said self-taken image, does not correspond to device-acceleration data that is expected to precede submission of a fresh self-taken image; and based on said determining, triggering a determination that said self-taken image is estimated to be a not-freshly-captured image of said user.
 5. The method of claim 1, comprising: sensing via a gyroscope of the electronic device, device-orientation data immediately prior to the submission by said user of said self-taken image; determining that device-orientation data, that was sensed immediately prior to the submission by said user of said self-taken image, does not correspond to device-orientation data that is expected to precede submission of a fresh self-taken image; and based on said determining, triggering a determination that said self-taken image is estimated to be a not-freshly-captured image of said user.
 6. A process comprising: (a) generating a user-authentication process that utilizes at least a self-taken image of a user of an electronic device, as an authentication factor for authenticating said user to a computerized service; (b) capturing a reference self-image of the user, to be used subsequently as an authentication factor for authenticating said user; (c) during said capturing of the reference self-image of the user, sensing also spatial properties of said electronic device, via at least one of: an accelerometer of said electronic device, and a gyroscope of said electronic device; (d) subsequently, receiving from said user a currently-submitted self-image, that the user submits as a user-authentication factor; (e) determining whether or not during a time-period, that is immediately prior to submission of the currently-submitted self-image, the electronic device sensed spatial device properties that are at least similar, beyond a pre-defined threshold of similarity, to the spatial device properties that were sensed during the capturing of the reference self-image in step (c); (f) if it is determined that during said time-period, that is immediately prior to submission of the currently-submitted self-image, the electronic device sensed spatial device properties that are at least similar, beyond a pre-defined threshold of similarity, to the spatial device properties data that was sensed during the capturing of the reference self-image in step (c), then: triggering an alert that said self-taken image is estimated to be a not-freshly-captured image of said user.
 7. The process of claim 6, wherein step (c) comprises: during said capturing of the reference self-image of the user, sensing device-acceleration data of said electronic device, via the accelerometer of said electronic device; wherein step (e) comprises: determining whether or not during the time-period, that is immediately prior to submission of the currently-submitted self-image, the accelerometer of the electronic device sensed device-acceleration data that is least similar, beyond a pre-defined threshold of similarity, to the device-acceleration data that was sensed during the capturing of the reference self-image in step (c); wherein step (f) comprises: if it is determined that during the time-period, that is immediately prior to submission of the currently-submitted self-image, the accelerometer of the electronic device did not sense device-acceleration data that is least similar, beyond a pre-defined threshold of similarity, to the device-acceleration data that was sensed during the capturing of the reference self-image in step (c), then: triggering an alert that said self-taken image is estimated to be a not-freshly-captured image of said user.
 8. The process of claim 6, wherein step (c) comprises: during said capturing of the reference self-image of the user, sensing device-orientation data of said electronic device, via the gyroscope of said electronic device; wherein step (e) comprises: determining whether or not during the time-period, that is immediately prior to submission of the currently-submitted self-image, the gyroscope of the electronic device sensed device-orientation data that is least similar, beyond a pre-defined threshold of similarity, to the device-orientation data that was sensed during the capturing of the reference self-image in step (c); wherein step (f) comprises: if it is determined that during the time-period, that is immediately prior to submission of the currently-submitted self-image, the gyroscope of the electronic device did not sense device-orientation data that is least similar, beyond a pre-defined threshold of similarity, to the device-orientation data that was sensed during the capturing of the reference self-image in step (c), then: triggering an alert that said self-taken image is estimated to be a not-freshly-captured image of said user.
 9. A method comprising: (a) generating a user-authentication process that utilizes at least a fingerprint scan of a user of an electronic device, captured via a fingerprint scanner of said electronic device, as an authentication factor for authenticating said user to a computerized service; (b) in said user-authentication process, determining whether (I) a submission by said user of said fingerprint scan, is accompanied by sensed spatial characteristics of the electronic device which indicate that the electronic device is being utilized for capturing said fingerprint scan, or (II) the submission by said user of said fingerprint scan, is accompanied by sensed spatial characteristics of the electronic device which indicate that the electronic device is not being utilized for capturing said fingerprint scan; (c) if it is determined that the submission by said user of said fingerprint scan, is accompanied by sensed spatial characteristics of the electronic device which indicate that the electronic device is not being utilized for capturing said fingerprint scan, then: triggering an alert that said fingerprint scan is estimated to be a not-freshly-captured fingerprint scan.
 10. The method of claim 9, comprising: sensing via an accelerometer of the electronic device, device-acceleration data that accompanies the submission by said user of said fingerprint scan; determining that device-acceleration data, that accompanies the submission by said user of said fingerprint scan, does not correspond to device-acceleration data that is expected to accompany submission of a fresh fingerprint scan; and based on said determining, triggering a determination that said fingerprint scan is estimated to be a not-freshly-captured image of said user.
 11. The method of claim 9, comprising: sensing via a gyroscope of the electronic device, device-orientation data that accompanies the submission by said user of said fingerprint scan; determining that device-orientation data, that accompanies the submission by said user of said fingerprint scan, does not correspond to device-orientation data that is expected to accompany submission of a fresh fingerprint scan; and based on said determining, triggering a determination that said fingerprint scan is estimated to be a not-freshly-captured image of said user.
 12. The method of claim 9, comprising: sensing via an accelerometer of the electronic device, device-acceleration data immediately prior to the submission by said user of said fingerprint scan; determining that device-acceleration data, that was sensed immediately prior to the submission by said user of said fingerprint scan, does not correspond to device-acceleration data that is expected to precede submission of a fresh fingerprint scan; and based on said determining, triggering a determination that said fingerprint scan is estimated to be a not-freshly-captured fingerprint scan of said user.
 13. The method of claim 9, comprising: sensing via a gyroscope of the electronic device, device-orientation data immediately prior to the submission by said user of said fingerprint scan; determining that device-orientation data, that was sensed immediately prior to the submission by said user of said fingerprint scan, does not correspond to device-orientation data that is expected to precede submission of a fresh fingerprint scan; and based on said determining, triggering a determination that said fingerprint scan is estimated to be a not-freshly-captured fingerprint scan of said user.
 14. A process comprising: (a) generating a user-authentication process that utilizes at least a fingerprint scan of a user of an electronic device, captured via a fingerprint scanner of said electronic device, as an authentication factor for authenticating said user to a computerized service; (b) capturing a reference fingerprint scan of the user, to be used subsequently as an authentication factor for authenticating said user; (c) during said capturing of the reference fingerprint scan, sensing also spatial properties of said electronic device, via at least one of: an accelerometer of said electronic device, and a gyroscope of said electronic device; (d) subsequently, receiving from said user a currently-submitted fingerprint scan, that the user submits as a user-authentication factor; (e) determining whether or not during a time-period, that is immediately prior to submission of the currently-submitted fingerprint scan, the electronic device sensed spatial properties of said electronic device that are at least similar, beyond a pre-defined threshold of similarity, to the spatial properties that were sensed during the capturing of the reference fingerprint scan in step (c); (f) if it is determined that during a time-period, that is immediately prior to submission of the currently-submitted fingerprint scan, the electronic device did not sense spatial properties that are at least similar, beyond a pre-defined threshold of similarity, to the spatial properties that were sensed during the capturing of the reference fingerprint scan in step (c), then: triggering an alert that the currently-submitted fingerprint scan is estimated to be a not-freshly-captured fingerprint scan.
 15. The process of claim 14, wherein step (c) comprises: during said capturing of the reference fingerprint scan of the user, sensing device-acceleration data of said electronic device, via the accelerometer of said electronic device; wherein step (e) comprises: determining whether or not during the time-period, that is immediately prior to submission of the currently-submitted fingerprint scan, the accelerometer of the electronic device sensed device-acceleration data that is least similar, beyond a pre-defined threshold of similarity, to the device-acceleration data that was sensed during the capturing of the reference fingerprint scan in step (c); wherein step (f) comprises: if it is determined that during the time-period, that is immediately prior to submission of the currently-submitted fingerprint scan, the accelerometer of the electronic device did not sense device-acceleration data that is least similar, beyond a pre-defined threshold of similarity, to the device-acceleration data that was sensed during the capturing of the reference fingerprint scan in step (c), then: triggering an alert that said self-taken image is estimated to be a not-freshly-captured fingerprint scan of said user.
 16. The process of claim 14, wherein step (c) comprises: during said capturing of the reference fingerprint scan of the user, sensing device-orientation data of said electronic device, via the gyroscope of said electronic device; wherein step (e) comprises: determining whether or not during the time-period, that is immediately prior to submission of the currently-submitted fingerprint scan, the gyroscope of the electronic device sensed device-orientation data that is least similar, beyond a pre-defined threshold of similarity, to the device-orientation data that was sensed during the capturing of the reference fingerprint scan in step (c); wherein step (f) comprises: if it is determined that during the time-period, that is immediately prior to submission of the currently-submitted fingerprint scan, the gyroscope of the electronic device did not sense device-orientation data that is least similar, beyond a pre-defined threshold of similarity, to the device-orientation data that was sensed during the capturing of the reference fingerprint scan in step (c), then: triggering an alert that said fingerprint scan is estimated to be a not-freshly-captured fingerprint scan of said user. 